


From Perdition

by Tashilover



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton, Supernatural
Genre: Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-03
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2017-10-25 15:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/272066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tashilover/pseuds/Tashilover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something is wrong with Obi-Wan. He's hearing voice, having strange dreams, and he thinks he's being followed by a man with blue eyes. And yet something about it all feels very familiar, very old.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was nothing really extraordinary about Master Lin. Not her Force abilities, not her missions, not her life. She was well liked, despite her plainness. Her demeanor was soft and gentle, and the only time she ever raised her voice was to awaken an Initiate who had the nerve to fall asleep in her class.

Something was wrong with her.

Initiate Joseg was unsure how to approach Master Lin. She looked to be as if in pain, her teeth gritting, her muscles contracting. The Force swirled around Joseg, warning him to take heed, but Joseg was too young, too inexperience to understand the meaning.

Slowly he approached Master Lin and asked, "Master, are you okay?"

He jumped when Lin suddenly jerked upright, the pain from her face absent. She turned to look at him and Joseg stumbled back in fear. Black had consumed her eyes. She blinked, and the black was gone, her blue eyes normal. "I'm alright, Joseg," she grinned at him. "Thank you for asking."

The Force screamed at him this time, telling him to run. Joseg turned, just as he heard the soft hum of a lightsaber being turned on.

()

 _I'll see you in hell._

Sharp pain followed the short, abrupt sentence. Obi-Wan gave off a gasp and stumbled, his hand going to his head.

Qui-Gon's hand was on his shoulder immediately. "Obi-Wan? What's wrong?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't know."

 _I'll see you in hell._

The pain came again and Obi-Wan grasped his head, trying to keep the low rough tone out. He slammed up his mental shields and bared for the onslaught. The voice came again, and slipped through his defenses easily, bringing more pain and more words.

 _Bella, I'll see you in hell._

"Obi-Wan, you must calm yourself," Qui-Gon moved his hand up to his neck, sending comforting tendrils through his fingertips. It did very little to help.

It wasn't just the words, or the pain. It was the emotion that followed, the underlying _fear_ from the person who was speaking. Whoever he was, is- Obi-Wan could easily tell he was terrified.

The pain and voice ended upruptedly, leaving Obi-Wan to gasp in surprise and relief. His heart was beating way too fast and he struggled to calm it. "Are you alright?" His Master asked him.

"Yes," he breathed. There was still a hint of fear plaguing his thoughts, though fear of what, he didn't know. He straightened up, his hand over his breast, feeling his slowing heart rate. "I believe so."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I-"

A loud scream pierced through the halls. Qui-Gon muttered a short command, "Stay here," before unhooking his lightsaber and ran towards the scream.

Obi-Wan shook his head. There was no lingering pain, and his heart had calmed down. He unbuckled his saber too and sprinted off in the direction of Qui-Gon.

He doesn't need the screams to tell him where the danger was. The Force was swirling around him, warning him, screaming at him, that up ahead something very, very bad was happening.

He got to the scene, shock made him hesitate for a second. It wasn't just the gore before him that took his breath away- there were severed limbs, chunks of intestines and pools of blood all over the floor- but Master Lin, the kind gentle Master who taught Obi-Wan when he was an Initiate, was fighting off four seasoned Masters. And winning.

She was laughing hysterically, dodging and parrying every move. Blood coated her Jedi robes, her face, her mouth. She moved impossibly fast for a woman her age, and there was something wrong with her eyes.

She ducked underneath Master Lieber's swing and grabbed his outreached arm, pulled, it tore it from the socket.

Master Lieber screamed and Obi-Wan had to move fast to keep from Lin from decapitating him. Obi-Wan locked his saber with hers and she leered at him for only a second, giving him a chance to see the blackness of her eyes. She merely jerked her head at him and Obi-Wan was sent flying.

He was half-aware the energy she used to push him away was not the Force. Not even close. He landed, pushed off the ground and rejoined the battle. Other Masters were running onto the scene, helping to take away the injured and to fight.

Fifteen Masters as well as their Padawans now surrounded Lin, holding a defense circle around her. "Surrender, Lin," Qui-Gon said to her. "Throw down your saber. Now!"

Lin merely laughed. "Make me."

That same energy, deep and dark and evil, erupted from Lin like an explosion. Jedi were tossed as if they were dolls. Sound of broken bones were heard, followed by cries of pain. Lin twirled in the middle, gleefully taking in the destruction.

Obi-Wan pushed himself up on his elbow, aware his right arm was broken.

 _Demon._

Something familiar and old was bubbling inside of him. The longer he stared at Lin, the stronger the feeling became.

 _Time to exorcise the bitch._

Obi-Wan opened his mouth, and what followed through was not of his own accord. _"Exorcisamus te omnis immunde spiritus-"_

Lin stopped twirling. Her eyes settled on Obi-Wan, the mirth wiped from her face. "How-?"

" _-omnis satanica potestas omnis incursion infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregation et secta diabolica-"_

Lin suddenly screamed in pain and she dove forward, her saber out. She stumbled in her steps and fell. Masters and Padawans held their hands out to her, all were concentrating to hold her.

Obi-Wan had no idea what he was saying, what it meant or where it came from. It spilt over his tongue as if he said it a million times. Lin was fighting hard against the Jedi's hold, yelling and _growling._ "I'll kill you! I'll rip your eyes out and eat them!"

" _-ergo machina maledicte et omnis legio diabolic te cessa decipere humanas creaturas eisque aeternae perditionis venenum propinare humiliare sub potenti manu dei!"_

The scream from Lin was terrifying. She threw her head back and-

Smoke. Obi-Wan couldn't believe it. Black smoke erupted from her mouth, fast and hard. Lin's body twitched violently as she vomited the black substance, the smell of sulfur filled the room. Everyone watched in horror as the last of the smoke exited Lin's body and dispersed on the ceiling, disappearing from view.

Lin collapsed. She heaved and gasped. Slowly, she raised her head, looked around the room. She flinched when she noticed the blood on her clothes, she jerked away violently when her hand brushed the side of an amputated leg. "Oh Force," she wailed. "What have I done?"

Obi-Wan wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault- why, how, he didn't know. He just knew. He wanted to tell, he wanted to tell Qui-Gon but the pain from earlier had come back. He felt it deep in his bones, in his chest, crushing him, stealing his breath.

He heard Qui-Gon calling out his name before darkness took him.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you remember?"

Lin's arms were shackled behind her, her feet bolted to the floor. There was a hollowness in her cheeks, paleness in her skin. She looked dead, Qui-Gon thought. So much guilt was wafting off of her, he had to slam up his mental shields to keep himself from being affected.

"Not much," Lin finally answered. She whispered as she spoke, her voice rough and scratchy. "There's flashes of… blood and pain and then…" A shuddering sob cut her off. "And then I was me again."

Mace exchanged looks with Qui-Gon. With a nod, Qui-Gon confirmed the story. "What was the last thing you remember before this… black-out?"

Lin shifted her shoulders to get into a more comfortable position. The restraints wouldn't allow her. "I was walking to my morning class," she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. "I remember smelling something odd. Sulfur. I thought a Padawan was playing a trick. I didn't really pay attention."

Another glance, another nod, another confirmation.

"Then…" Lin shook her head, her face squinting in concentration. She gave up. "Nothing."

"The Force gave no warning?"

"No."

"Lin," Mace leaned forward. He gently placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head up, so they may see her eyes. "What do you think it was?"

Tears began to flow out of Lin's already deeply red eyes. "Evil."

"The Darkside."

" _No,"_ she hissed, jerking her head out of Mace's grasp. "Whatever it was, it had _nothing_ to do with the Force. This was pure madness."

()

"Do you believe her?"

Qui-Gon sighed. He wasn't sure what to believe. The Darkside? Maybe. Insanity? Probably. Black evil smoke? "I don't know," he admitted. "If I hadn't seen the smoke with my own two eyes… It was like nothing I have ever seen before. Even as it exited Lin's body, I felt nothing. Nothing in the Force even indicated it was there."

"We tried to pull vids from security, but the system temporarily went down during the whole incident," Mace said, sounding very disgusted. "Other than the eye witness accounts, we have no proof, no idea what we're dealing with."

"What will happen to Lin, then?"

"Trial, perhaps. Possessed or not, Lin killed four people and severely injured countless others."

"And Obi-Wan? What will his role be in this?"

"That, we can keep out of the public records. But understand this, Qui-Gon," Mace said, and lowered his voice. "Until we know what we're dealing with, how Obi-Wan is involved in all of this, the Council will demand much from him. From both of you."

()

Obi-Wan had never hated the words _I don't know_ more than he did today. Every question that was asked of him, every inquiry made by a Council member or by his Master, all he could answer with was, _I don't know._

What was that chant?

 _I don't know._

What does it mean?

 _I don't know._

Can you repeat it for us?

Obi-Wan paused. He remembered few of the words, though certainly not in the right order. 'Omnis' was one, and he only remembered that because he said it five times. "I can't. I don't remember."

Council member Jchayne leaned back in her chair, slightly frustrated. Obi-Wan really couldn't blame her. They were in here for nearly an hour and they were going in circles. "Your Master said you collapsed mere seconds before Lin started to commit the murders. What happened?"

Obi-Wan nearly said _I don't know,_ and stopped. "I heard someone speak."

"A vision?"

Obi-Wan had to frown at that. Was it a vision? It would explain a lot, except Obi-Wan never had a vision like that before. It been nearly two years since his last vision and his control over the Force had dramatically changed since then. "I don't know," he admitted, internally hating himself for his lack of vocabulary. "I never heard of the chant before. It… would make sense. The voice only said a few things."

"Like what?"

"He said, _Bella, I'll see you in hell._ Before I started saying the chant, the voice said, _Demon_ and _Time to exorcise this bitch."_

"You never heard of this voice before?"

"No. I believe he was addressing someone named Bella, but I never heard of that name before, either. And demon; isn't that a derogatory word used for outsiders?"

"Most of the time, yes," Mace said. "However, there are religions on other worlds who use that word to describe creatures of the dark… do you believe that smoke was a creature of the dark?"

Obi-Wan had never seen it before. Never heard of any accounts of it before. And yet there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head, telling him he had.

"I don't know."

()

Nothing happened for the next two months.

No visions, no voices, no black smoke. Obi-Wan supposed this should be taken as a good thing, except the Council was no closer to an answer since day one. Master Lin's trial came and went and it was decided she would be banished to a heavily guarded prison planet.

She went willingly.

Obi-Wan underwent every test the Council requested. Blood samples were taken, mind scans were done, and nothing came up. Nobody could figure out where Obi-Wan's words originated from, what they meant or how it was related to Lin.

There was no evidence of foul play with the security systems and according to the engineers, there should've been no reason for the shut-down during the five minutes of the assault.

No physical proof, no clue, no idea of what to do next.

"Obi-Wan, you're not concentrating."

"Sorry, Master."

Obi-Wan sighed and squared his shoulders. Meditation had never been this hard since he was young. Back then, he had trouble because he was bored. Eventually he would find his center and relax into the Force, but now, all he could concentrate on was how tiring this all was.

He slowed his breathing, concentrated on it. He touched upon the edge of the Force, slowly allowing it to wash over him. And just as he was about to lose himself in the calming waves of the Force, he lost connection.

His eyes opened and he saw Qui-Gon looking disapproving at him. "You're not con-"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time."

Obi-Wan snapped his mouth shut. The words came out before he even realized he'd said them. Nearly twenty years old and he felt like a child as he hung his head in shame. "I apologize, Master. I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

Qui-Gon sighed. "It's alright, Padawan. I think that's a sign we should take a break. From all of this."

"I shall make tea," Obi-Wan picked himself off the ground, glad to be moving. He was tired of all the meditation exercises he was forced to do lately.

"No, Obi-Wan. That's not what I meant. When was the last time you left the Temple?"

"That mission to-"

"With your friends?"

Obi-Wan paused. It'd been months. And though he'd eaten lunch with Bant and Garen a few times over the past two months, those encounters were uncomfortable and quiet. Bant was close to Master Lin.

As much as Obi-Wan wanted to leave, wanted simply to enjoy the sun on his face, he had tests almost every single day. "I have an appointment with a mind healer today."

Qui-Gon made a face. "Am I seriously going have to order you to play hooky?"

Obi-Wan shared a timid smile with him. "Well, maybe if you did it more often…"

"Cheeky brat. If that what it takes… Obi-Wan, I order you to go out, eat lunch with your friends, and don't come back for at least seven hours."

The Padawan chuckled. "What will I tell Master Tomas?"

"Don't worry about that. You go have fun."

()

Force, he needed this.

Obi-Wan ran. He felt the wind in his hair, the sun on his skin, his heart beating in his chest. He could sense Bant was close behind him, her arms stretched out to grab him and he merely ran faster, ducking and dodging her hands.

"Damn you, Obi!" She cursed, falling behind.

He laughed and jumped suddenly to the side, evading Garen's obscure tackle. The delay in movement was all the time Bant needed to catch up. She grabbed Obi-Wan by the shoulders and used her weight to bring him down.

They fell, yelling and laughing loudly. Grass and dirt filled Obi-Wan's senses and he reveled in the pureness of it all. "Damn it, Obi-Wan," Garen slapped him playfully on the arm, plopping down next to him. "I thought we agreed: No Force."

"You agreed. I stood indifferently."

"Now I know why he always wins at cards," Bant said, brushing off her tunic. "He cheats."

Obi-Wan gaped at her indignantly. "I do…!" He trailed off.

This caused another round of laughter. Lords, it felt good not to think. Obi-Wan knew he and his Master was probably going to get a stern lecture from Master Windu once he got back, but at the moment he didn't care. He flopped down onto his back and sighed. The sun felt warm.

"Hey, have you two noticed that guy's been staring at us this whole time?"

Obi-Wan lifted his head. Bant indicated with a nod towards a small brush of trees. The park was filled with people and it took Obi-Wan a few seconds to filter through the passing bodies to see who she was talking about.

Even from his distance, Obi-Wan could clearly see that this man was looking at them. He seemed to be wearing some kind of tan cloak.

"Look at his clothes," Garen whistled. "They're so old. And I thought Master Chau enjoyed vintage stuff."

"Isn't it a bit too hot for that cloak?"

"Some species like it hot."

"He's human, you can clearly see that."

"I don't know. Hey, Obi-Wan, do you think it's too hot? …Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan didn't respond. He stared at the man quietly, his head cocking slightly to the side in a curious manner. He'd seen this man before. He knew this man.

 _Holy tax accountant._

"Obi-Wan!" Garen shook his shoulder, jarring him.

Obi-Wan turned his head to him. "Uh, what?"

"You okay?"

Obi-Wan turned back to the trees. The man was gone. "I'm fine."


	3. Chapter 3

"There are rumors of the black smoke seen in the Brux City of Canter."

Obi-Wan felt himself stiffen, though hid it carefully. He glanced at his Master and saw Qui-Gon's jaw tightened. "Rumors? Nothing solid? No deaths?"

"Do not speak to the Council in that flippant tone, Master Jinn," Mace said stiffly. "As for your question: no. There are the usual cases of missing persons and murders, but nothing too unusual to stand out."

"Then where did the rumor come from?"

"Knight Shoures. Ever since Lin, we have given warnings to every Jedi across the Republic to keep an eye out for this infamous smoke. Knight Shoures reported this morning of seeing such. We may be jumping at shadows, but we're not taking any risks."

Obi-Wan could sense Qui-Gon didn't like this as much as he did. They were going into a mission half-blind and very unprepared. "And what are we to do, if we engage the smoke? Fifteen Masters couldn't keep this thing down and I'm not sure if _one_ Master, a Knight and a Padawan can hold their own against it."

"Engage, you will not," Yoda stated. His tone was low. "Distance, you will keep. Observe, you will do."

"Forgive me, Master Yoda, but I don't think we may have a choice if this thing decides to fight."

Yoda's large green eyes turned towards Obi-Wan. "Padawan Kenobi, this chant, remember do you?"

"No, I am afraid not, Master," Obi-Wan bowed his apology. "It might be triggered again, but there's no guarantee."

"This has too many risks," Qui-Gon stepped forward, his anger unsheathed. "I do not believe the Council is thinking clearly, sending only three Jedi after this… _demon,_ all the while, depending only on one to keep it at bay!"

"We understand the risks, Qui-Gon," Mace suddenly growled, his patience at its end. "We have no choice. You will go and you will investigate. I believe I do not have to stress the importance of keeping a low profile while you are there. This is a fact finding mission, nothing more."

"And if this 'mission' finds us?"

Mace was cold. "Kill it if you have to. Injure it, if you can. Running is your first option."

()

Qui-Gon was not happy.

Even without the Force, that was evident. This mission, Obi-Wan thought, was stupid. They were going on a wild goose chase, improperly equip, and everyone was relying on the off-chance that Obi-Wan will remember the chant if push came to shove.

However, they knew the Council could not provide more Jedi on this mission. A great famine had broken out in the Soone system and Jedi were sent to keep peace and order and protection while the Republic responded. And in a mission where silence was key, less Jedi the better.

Still, Obi-Wan thought as he steered the ship into the planet's cold atmosphere, this was such bull.

The Force swirled around them and it spoke in hushed anxiety. Not exactly a warning, and Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon could feel it too. Something was going to happen on that planet.

They docked the ship. As Qui-Gon reached up to switch off the power, he said, "Be on your guard, Obi-Wan."

Like he needed reminding.

Knight Shoures greeted them as they exited the ship. He was a rather short human, with almond shaped eyes and deep black hair. He was not dressed as a Jedi, his identity hidden from public view. Only the silver saber hanging off his hip gave any indication who he was.

Obi-Wan was relieved to feel no danger from him, no hint of evil. There was, however, a tiredness in his eyes. "Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi," Shoures bowed to them.

"Knight Shoures," Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed back.

Shoures sighed. "I must apologize immediately to the both of you. I am afraid I brought you two here on false pretenses." He looked around the bustling landing strip, wary of the walking passengers and working crews. "May we speak in a much more private setting?"

()

The boy was perhaps only seven years old. He ignored the Jedi in the room and kept his whole attention on the coloring utensils before him, and scribbled on the giant sheet of paper. His mother looked on from another room, quietly watched him play.

"His name is Ah-pril," Shoures explained to Qui-Gon. "He is eight. He likes to draw and play with his stuffed animals. His father was killed a few months ago by drug raiders and hasn't spoken since. Healers can't find what's wrong with him."

Cute kid, Obi-Wan observed. His heart went out for the boy.

Shoures pulled out a folded piece of paper and gave it to Qui-Gon. "I'm not the one who saw the smoke. Ah-pril did."

The yellow piece of paper was full of black lines and circles, but it was obvious what the drawing was. A stick figure was in the corner of the paper, his mouth opened, blackness spewing from inside.

"Why did you not tell the Council the truth?" Qui-Gon asked as he passed back the drawing.

"Ah-pril does not do well with strangers," Shoures explained. "I was afraid the Council, in fear of this smoke, would force my hand to interrogate this child." He shook his head. "Ah-pril has been through so much already. I will not force any mind scans on him."

"Your protection of the boy is commendable," Qui-Gon chastised softly. "But the Council will not look upon your lying lightly."

Shoures pleaded, "Master Jinn, please. I know what I did, but that's neither here nor there. I was hoping you could help him without resorting to the Force."

Qui-Gon observed Ah-pril. The boy kept drawing, oblivious to the serious discussion about him less than fifteen feet away. Qui-Gon then turned to Obi-Wan, smirked, clapped a hand on his shoulder and said, "Go talk to him."

Obi-Wan didn't care much for children and he absolutely hated crèche duty. So he wasn't really surprised that Qui-Gon passed this over onto him. His Master had a dry sense of humor.

Taking a breath to calm himself, Obi-Wan walked into the play room. He watched Ah-pril draw for a few seconds and then sat down across from him.

"Hi there," Obi-Wan said softly. "I'm Obi-Wan. Nice to meet you."

Ah-pril didn't even look up.

"Don't want to talk? That's cool. I understand that. Do you mind?" Obi-Wan reached over and took one of the blank pieces of paper and one of the coloring utensils. "I used to draw a lot when I was a kid but I was never very good at it."

Ah-pril did not respond.

Something about this was all so very familiar. Obi-Wan couldn't place his finger on it.

"You know, Ah-pril, I heard you saw something. Something bad. And I know it must be hard for you talk about it out loud. You don't have to, y'know? You can draw me a picture."

When Ah-pril didn't acknowledge him, Obi-wan shrugged. "I guess my drawing skills still suck. Wanna look?" He gently pushed the drawing towards him. He pointed. "These are my friends. This is Bant, my best friend. Garen, my other best friend. And-"

 _Sammy. My geeky little brother._

"-Qui-Gon, my teacher. That's me in the middle."

Nothing. Not even a twitch. Even more, the drawing was crap. Ah-pril drew better than him.

"Consider my drawing a gift," Obi-Wan said as he stood up. Though he really didn't expect Ah-pril to talk to him, it still felt like a kick to the gut that the kid didn't even acknowledge his presence. Obi-Wan hoped his Master had a better go at it.

He turned when he felt a small tug on his cloak. Ah-pril's head was down, said not a word as he passed Obi-Wan one drawing. Before Obi-Wan could even voice his thanks, Ah-pril sat back down in his chair, as if nothing had occurred.

Obi-Wan looked at the drawing. Held it up so Qui-Gon and Shoures could see. "Do you know where this place is?"

The drawing was of a building. The only thing that was distinctive about it was the blue neon sign in the top right corner.

Shoures nodded. "It's in the middle of low level markets. Ah-pril passes this area everyday to get to school."

()

Obi-Wan felt a little weird to be out of his usual Jedi garb. The thick cloak and black boots he wore was heavier than he was used to and he wondered if the cloak would interfere with him grabbing his saber.

Shoures wore goggles that covered most of his face as he navigated through the crowd. Up ahead, Obi-Wan could see the blue neon sign from Ah-pril's drawing. He shared a glance with Qui-Gon and with a nod, moved closer to Shoures, kept their guard up.

They stopped in front of the building with the blue sign, the smell of cooked meat wafting from the restaurant inside. "There's too many people here out on the street," Shoures pointed down the alley. "Ah-pril might've seen the smoke coming from the alley."

Obi-Wan wondered what happened to the possessed person in Ah-pril's drawing. Was he dead? Did anybody report a missing person and if the victim lived, where did he go?

The alley opened into the back streets of the market, where workers dropped off their trash from the buildings. Beyond a few stray animals, the alleys were empty and devoid of any sign of evil. "For Ah-pril to have seen anything, it should be near the street. Do you see any blood?"

"Just trash," Qui-Gon said, pushing aside a few trash cans to look at the walls. "I sense nothing here."

Obi-Wan kicked an empty can out of his way. He sensed nothing too and wondered if Ah-pril lied to him. He was about to make that suggestion to the others when something on the ground caught his attention.

Obi-Wan pushed away a sloshed rag away to get a better look. It looked like a constellation was hastily scratched on the ground. It was probably only chicken scratches but now that his curiosity had been peaked, Obi-Wan began to clear away the surrounding area.

Lines grew bigger, connected to other lines, other symbols. Most of it was faded, washed away, but there was enough to give Obi-Wan a general idea what it looked like before.

"What is that?" Shoures breathed as Obi-Wan stepped back, tossing aside the last bit of garbage.

An elaborate five pointed star had been scratched onto the ground. A large circle ensnared the star while small unknown sigils were in between the spaces.

Obi-Wan traced the symbols with his fingers, frustration boiling inside of him. _I know this. I know this, I know this, I know this…_

He waited for something to happen. A vision, a voice, anything to stop this irritable familiarity. It was right at the tip of his tongue, at the edge of his consciousness, and it was just right out of his grasp.

"Calm yourself," Qui-Gon commanded.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I've seen this before," he muttered once he was calm. "I just don't know where."

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon squatted down next to him and asked softly, "Is this connected to the smoke?"

He didn't know how he knew. "Yes."

"How do you know that?" Shoures demanded.

Qui-Gon held up a hand, silencing him. "Do you know it is called?"

Obi-Wan licked his lips. It was called… it was called… "Devil's trap."

Qui-Gon's voice was low and smooth and commanding. He asked and Obi-Wan responded. "What's it used for?"

"Trapping demons. Keeping them stationary until exorcism." He spoke not of his own accord and he allowed it. He needed to know, despite how terrified he felt.

"Do the victims live?"

"Only the strong ones."

Qui-Gon lowered his voice almost to a whisper and asked, "What is your name?"

It was on that question that broke the soft spell over Obi-Wan. He gasped, and jerked away from the trap, falling back on his behind. "Holy crap!"

Qui-Gon raised his eyebrow at this and said nothing as he helped Obi-Wan back onto his feet. Shoures stepped forward and took a picture of the trap. "So now we have two people to find," he said. "The one who was trapped inside, and the one who drew it."

"Three," Qui-Gon said. "The person who is channeling this information through Obi-Wan. Whoever he is, I don't think he means harm." The last bit he said mostly to Obi-Wan, to reassure him.

Obi-Wan didn't feel reassured. Because it didn't feel like someone from the outside was feeding him mental clues. He had experienced that before, he'd knew what it felt like. This was different. It was inside of him, deep and buried.


	4. Chapter 4

Obi-Wan couldn't bear the thought of leaving. He didn't want to die. Not while his family still needed him, needed his help.

But it wasn't like he had a choice. He heard the doctors: internal bleeding, damaged organs, broken bones, cracked skull… even if he did live, he'll probably be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, eating through a tube.

Even more, he certainly couldn't bear the thought of having a hunter coming to salt and burn his bones. He killed ghosts, not become them.

Obi-Wan wanted to say goodbye, tell them something to reassure them, but Tessa's hand was becoming insistent. He had to make a decision now.

He was never given a chance.

Tessa's eyes went wide with fright and she screamed, "No! You can't do this!"

Black smoke entered the small hospital room and shoved its way into Tessa's mouth. Obi-Wan jumped back in fear.

Tessa twisted around. Her eyes were yellow. "Kid," she sneered. "Today is your lucky day."

()

Obi-Wan woke with a start. He looked at the time and saw he was barely out for an hour and he let his head dropped.

What the hell was that?

Did he just see someone, this Tessa, be possessed? Even more, who was she talking to? To him?

Suddenly Obi-Wan was second-guessing himself. He'd been toying with the idea that these were repressed memories. Maybe he saw or read something and in fear, locked it away inside his head. He wasn't always protected by Jedi and it was a real possibility he could've learned that exorcism chant and the devil's trap from somewhere, from someone.

But now this… vision? This memory? He certainly wasn't hospitalized on the brink of death, nor did he know anyone by the name Tessa.

Then there was the possession. Lin's eyes were black, not yellow. And this demon knew him. Or at least knew of him.

Exactly what was he seeing? His memories, or someone else's? Is it really deep inside of him, or was there another force, someone or something out there, feeding this to him? And for what?

Two knocks on his door interrupted his thoughts. "Obi-Wan, you're awake?"

Qui-Gon. "Yes, Master."

The door slid opened and Qui-Gon raised his hand to halt Obi-Wan's movements to get off the bed. The young Jedi sat back down, moved over to give room. Qui-Gon sat down next to him. "How do you feel?"

Confused out of my damn mind, is what he wanted to say. Instead, he admitted, "Tired."

Qui-Gon cocked his head at him. "That's not all, is it?"

"Conflicted," he admitted. "Confused."

"Conflicted?"

"Master, were there other Force users in my family?"

"You believe these visions are coming from someone you're related to?"

"They're not visions," Obi-Wan stated. They weren't his own memories, but he wouldn't dare call them visions. "They feel too… personal to be visions. I believe they're memories of a family member."

"Interesting theory," Qui-Gon moved more onto the bed, draped an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders. "Of course when the Jedi collected you from your parents, they did the usual background check. Mostly for medical reasons, but I don't believe there is anything in your records stating you have a relative with Force abilities."

"An obscure aunt? A great-great grandfather who ran off with the maid?"

"I do not know, Padawan," Qui-Gon said. "Perhaps. It's not as if we checked every possible relative you have. It is something to inquire about."

"Were you able to get in contact with Coruscant?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Canter is infamous for its unpredictable electrical storms. It may be days before we can get in contact with the Council."

And as if on cue, the lights above them flicked on and off.

Qui-Gon chuckled. "You see?" He frowned suddenly and turned his head back towards the door. He pulled his arm away from Obi-Wan.

"Master?" Then Obi-Wan smelled it. Sulfur.

Shoures' Force signature was screaming in distress.

Saber in hand, Qui-Gon opened the door just in time to watch the remains of black smoke force its way down Shoures' throat.

Qui-Gon didn't hesitate. He turned on his saber and launched himself at Shoures, intent to kill. Shoures twisted to face him, flinging out an arm as if he was swatting an unseen fly.

Qui-Gon was sent flying and he slammed into the wall. He did not collapse to the floor. Instead, he remained on the wall, a good five feet above the floor, his arms and legs pinned.

"Obi-Wan, run!" He screamed.

"Nuh-huh!" Shoures switched on his saber and pointed it at Qui-Gon's throat. "Run little Jedi, and your Master dies."

Obi-Wan held his saber at the ready, waiting desperately for that chant to come to him. He kept repeating 'omnis' over and over again, hoping it'll spark something. Nothing happened. "You will let us go."

"Not until I get some answers," Shoures sneered. "And don't act so superior towards me. You know I could kill both of you in a blink of an eye."

He could. Obi-Wan knew he could. "I have nothing of value to give."

"Do you?" The demon said, his hold on Qui-Gon unwavering. Qui-Gon struggled against his invisible bonds, unable to do no more than twitch and jerk. "That exorcism chant back on Coruscant. How do you know it?"

Obi-Wan frowned at him. "How did-"

"Our lines of communication are better than yours. I know for a fact that out of the dozens and dozens of Jedi that were there, you were the only who was tapped. Why?"

"I don't know."

Shoures growled and jerked his saber towards Qui-Gon's arm. "Lie to me again and I'll start chopping off limbs. How did you know that chant?"

"I'm not lying. I don't know."

The demon narrowed his eyes at him, assessing him. "And your friend? Where does he fit in all of this?"

Qui-Gon had his eyes closed. From behind Shoures' back, a large piece of furniture was slowly rising off the ground.

Obi-Wan was confused. "Friend? Who are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid, kid! I'm talking about that blue-eyed freak with-"

He grunted as the large dresser drawer slammed into him, sandwiching him against the wall. Qui-Gon dropped immediately, summoned his saber to his hand and both he and Obi-Wan took off running.

They burst out the front door, and went straight for the emergency exit. From behind, Obi-Wan could hear the demon screaming at them. "Where are we going?" Obi-Wan said as they threw themselves over the edge of the stairs.

"We must draw the Devil's Trap and lure him in!"

They dropped down eight floors. They scared the pants off a poor old woman when they landed. Qui-Gon screamed at her, "Get inside your apartment!"

They dashed out the exit door and into the back alleys. They didn't slow in their running, hoping to put distance between them and the demon to give them enough time to draw the trap.

"Here!" Qui-Gon halted and turned on his saber. He swirled, cutting a circle into the ground. Obi-Wan began to draw the sigils surrounding the circle as Qui-Gon drew the pentagon inside.

They finished just in time to jump back and watched the demon comically run right into the trap.

Shoures struck an invisible wall and fell back. He stared dumbstruck at the floor, then shifted his black gaze to them, his nostrils flaring. "I'm going to gut you two for this."

Qui-Gon was not intimidated. "Release Shoures. Now."

The demon grinned. "No."

Obi-Wan stepped forward. "Do it now or else I begin chanting."

"You don't remember it."

"It'll come to me. And then I'll send your worthless ass back to hell."

Obi-Wan had to fight to keep the shock look off his face. He wasn't expecting to say that. He didn't even know what it meant.

Shoures bared his teeth at him. "You little liar!" He snarled. "Tell me, Obi-Wan, how much do you know? No, here's a better question: how much are you aware of? Because it looks to me, all the information I need is simply locked away in that little mind of yours. I'm going to enjoy making you scream."

"Christo!"

The demon flinched. "That's not very nice."

"Does it look like I care?"

"Obi-Wan, calm down!" Qui-Gon grabbed his apprentice by the shoulder and pulled him back. "Do not forget, Shoures is still inside of him."

The demon began giggling. "Oh, so now you care what happens to this meatsuit? I recall only a moment ago you throwing a dresser at me. You broke seven of Shoures' ribs and his arm."

Obi-Wan looked down at Shoures' arm and though it was hard to tell through his clothing, indeed Obi-Wan could see the arm bent at an angle. "You're not in pain?"

"I'm not. He is."

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exchanged uneasy looks. Shoures will understand it was necessary what they did, but the idea of one of their own in such pain because of them…

"You want to know another secret?" Shoures said softly. "The trap only works if it's unbroken."

The ground suddenly shook violently beneath them. Windows from all sides shattered, grime filtered down on them, and at the height of the shaking, a large ordained crack split the pentagram down in half.

The shaking stopped abruptly and before either of them could make a move, the demon shot up his hands.

Both Jedi flew back, slamming into the sides of the building. Qui-Gon cracked his head against the stone walls and when he crumpled to the floor, he did not get back up.

Stars exploded in Obi-Wan's vision and he fought to keep his eyes open. Dazed, he watched Shoures step out of the trap with ease. "Points for effort," he grinned.

A fist connected with Obi-Wan's jaw and he felt his lip split, tasted blood. He tried to brace for the onslaught, get his bearings long enough to concentrate on summoning his saber. He cried out when Shoures leaned over him, sunk his teeth in and ripped out a chunk of flesh.

"Tasty!" Shoures giggled, blood dripping down his front. "Oh, don't fall unconscious now. We've just barely started!"

Weary, Obi-Wan lifted his head.

A man was standing right behind Shoures.

Black hair, blue eyes, was all Obi-Wan's mind could register when the man's hand clamped down on Shoures' shoulder.

Shoures threw his head back and screamed, a bright white light erupting from his eyes and mouth. The light ended and Shoures dropped to the floor.

Darkness was edging on Obi-Wan's vision. "Who are you?" He demanded.

The man said nothing. He was too busy staring at the broken Devil's Trap and threw Obi-Wan a curious look.

"Dean," he said.


	5. Chapter 5

It turned out Shoures broke more than a few ribs and his arm when Qui-Gon slammed that dresser against him. A rib punctured a lung, which resulted in Shoures nearly drowning in his own blood. He also obtained a cracked femur, bruised kidneys and knocked two teeth. No injury to his spine, thank goodness, but it did require him to be immersed in a bacta tank for a few days.

Qui-Gon suffered a concussion and a cracked skull. While the healers said there was no indication of brain damage, he will be unconscious for at least a week.

Obi-Wan only suffered from a dislocated shoulder, a light concussion and endless amount of thick bruises. There was a spot on his back that ached horribly no matter how he moved.

He had yet to get into contact with Coruscant. The best he could do was pay off a deliver ship to relay the message once it got out of Canter's electrical atmosphere. The message was short and to the point: Demon attack. Qui-Gon and Shoures out of commission. Send help.

So here he was. A Padawan without a master, on a planet he didn't know, being hunted by something he barely understood.

And he was pissed.

More than once he had to go on his knees to meditate the anger away. He couldn't afford to lose his temper now. It was more than the frustration he felt about the visions/memories. That he could handle.

It was the fact that it felt like someone was watching him, pulling the strings from behind the curtain. Like that black haired, blue eyed man. It took Obi-Wan hours to remember where he'd seen the man before.

At the park on Coruscant. That meant this man had been watching Obi-Wan, following him. _Saved him,_ Obi-Wan remembered before he lost conscious. All it took was a touch and the demon burned right out of Shoures.

Was he even human? There were plenty of alien humanoid species, but as Obi-Wan delved into his own memories, brought up the face in full definition, the man was clearly human. No pointed ears, no odd coloration of the skin; just a five o' clock shadow and a soft cleft chin.

And Obi-Wan was determined to find this guy.

Before he left, he drew the Devil's trap on the ceiling right above the doors to Shoures' and Qui-Gon's rooms. For added affect, he didn't know why, he took the salt the healers gave him for his meal and made an unbroken line across the window. He'd only hope nobody would notice his art projects and clean it up.

()

His first visit was to Ah-pril. The kid talked to him once, probably will again. But his mother wouldn't have it.

"No," she said, pressing the door closed. "I've had enough of you Jedi interrogating him. He needs to forget this and move on."

"Ma'am, please."

"No," she stated and closed the door on him.

Okay, plan B.

Obi-Wan went back to where they first found the Devil's Trap- it was now gone, washed away- and began to ask some of the local residents if they ever saw a blue eyed, black haired human hanging around.

"No," said the restaurant owner.

"No," said the old man sitting on his porch.

Obi-Wan's spirits actually lifted for a brief second when the homeless man said, "Yes," but then he frowned and said, "Wait… no."

"I've seen him."

Obi-Wan looked over tiredly at prostitute. She was already walking towards him, allowing her green tentacles to sway in bounce with her hips. "I can tell you where he is… for a price."

 _Of course…_ Obi-Wan gave her a sarcastic smile. He knew this wasn't of his own character, but at the moment he didn't care. He was too tired to deal with bullshit. "Of course you do." He turned away.

"Black hair, blue eyes, wears a tan coat?"

Obi-Wan stopped in his tracks. He hadn't mentioned the coat to anyone. He turned back to her.

She grinned knowingly at him. "Fifty credits."

Obi-Wan waved his hand over her. "You will tell me what I need."

She scowled at him. "Now the price just rose to a hundred credits. My kind isn't affected by your magicks, Jedi."

Without another word he passed over the necessary credits.

She smugly shoved the funds into her back pocket. "There's this temple down the street. I saw your guy coming out of it once. Dunno if he goes there or anything."

Not much, at least was something. "Thank you," Obi-Wan bowed politely at her.

She wiggled her hips at him. "You wanna…?"

 _I don't pay for it._ Instead, he said, "No, thank you."

()

The Temple, as it were, was nothing more than a small space stuffed in some obscure corner. It was very humbling, almost on the verge of pathetic. Obi-Wan went inside, keeping his eyes out for the black haired man.

The temple had just enough space for two rows of pews, a table for praying candles (only about ten) and another table held the symbol of the temple's worship: a small silver cross. There was only two other people inside, the Bishop and a woman praying.

"Hello," The bishop greeted him. "I am Bishop Dasani. How may I be of service?"

"Hello sir," Obi-Wan bowed politely to him. "I am looking for a man who may have come here. Human, with black hair, blue eyes, wears a tan coat?"

Dasani smiled sadly to him. "I'm sorry. I don't know anyone or remember anyone of with those characteristics."

Obi-Wan resisted the urge to sigh loudly. Perhaps the prostitute lied to him? "Thank you anyways," he muttered. He glanced over at the silver cross. "Do you mind if I…?"

"Please," Dasani smiled to him, gesturing with a sweep of his arm to walk in further. "If it brings you peace, my son, I won't hold you."

The only other worshipper there was a very old woman. She had her head bowed and her hands were laid across her lap. For a moment, Obi-Wan thought she was asleep. He took a seat and bowed his head, his eyes trained on the silver cross.

Obi-Wan didn't know why he didn't just leave. The Jedi didn't have a religion, but they were respective to others and did not mock or sneer or debate. The Bishop didn't demand anything of him and really, he should be getting back to Qui-Gon and Shoures.

"This temple is the last of its kind."

Obi-Wan nearly jumped out of his skin. He banged his elbow against the back of the pew, the noise causing the old woman to jerk awake for a second- thus confirming the Jedi's suspicions- and fell back asleep with a snore.

Sitting right next to Obi-Wan was the man he was looking for. "You…!"

The man stared sadly at the silver cross, ignoring Obi-Wan's shocked look. "By the end of the month, the lease will end and this temple will become nothing more than a storage place for the business down the street." He closed his eyes. "Thousands of years of history will be gone within a blink of an eye."

"Who are you?" Obi-Wan demanded, curling his hand around his saber.

The man finally turned to him. "I've kept my distance because I promised a friend long ago that I would."

"You will tell me…"

"My name is Castiel."

 _Cas._

Obi-Wan bit down on his own tongue to keep that word from sprouting out of his mouth. He nearly said it. It sounded so familiar and old and safe and he wanted to say it.

He physically swallowed before he could speak again. Castiel had already turned back towards the front, staring at the cross. "Are you the one who drew that Devil's Trap in the alley?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Mostly to see if it still worked."

Obi-Wan frowned at that. "You can exorcise demons with a touch-"

"You misunderstand me," Castiel said. His voice was so low and deep, it sounded like it hurt when he spoke. "I wasn't sure if the rules and regulations of the old world would still work. I needed to be sure."

This was such a weird conversation. "Are you the one who keeps sending me these… visions of demons?"

"No."

Just no. No explanation and it was frustrating Obi-Wan greatly. "Do you know who?"

"I do."

"…mind telling me?"

"You're not ready for it."

Obi-Wan had never been one to resort to violence, but Castiel was just asking for it. Instead of lashing out, the Padawan took a deep breath and calmed himself. "In the alley," he began. "You called me Dean. Why?"

Castiel frowned. "That… that was a slip of the tongue. I apologize."

"Slip of the tongue, my ass. You called me that for a reason. Why?"

"I can't-"

" _Cas."_

Castiel tensed. Taking the moment, Obi-Wan pleaded, "Cas… please, tell me what's going on."

Castiel never took his eyes off the cross. "This temple was built to worship two brothers. One born of light, one born of dark."

Obi-Wan wasn't sure if this is Cas' way of explaining things or if he was just dickin' around. "Why bother worshiping the brother of dark?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Because he never submitted to the dark, just like his brother never submitted to the light."

"Then why worship either?" Obi-Wan glanced at the cross, then glanced back at Castiel. He was gone.

No indication from the Force came to him. No catching the sight of Cas' back as he dashed out the front door. Castiel was just _gone._

Obi-Wan felt like cursing. He would have too, if it wasn't so blasphemous.

He stood, shoved his hands inside the sleeves of his cloak to keep himself from lashing out in anger. He nearly ran over the Bishop on his way out the door. "Oh! Excuse me, young one."

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan muttered, moving out of the way to let Dasani pass.

"Thank you. Were you able to gain any enlightenment?"

"Yes," he lied. He paused, then asked, "Sir, may I ask why your religion revolves around two brothers?"

The Bishop smiled at him. "According to legend, a child of light was born and a child of dark was born. One was destined to kill the other. And they didn't want to."

"And that started a religion?"

Dasani chuckled softly. "You're a Jedi, yes? Your kind believes if things were meant to happen, it'll happen?"

"It's not as simple as that, but yes."

"Our religion follows a different path. We believe we can make our own choices, regardless of a higher power telling us differently."

"For many other religions, that sounds very blasphemous."

"That is perhaps why this Temple is dying," Dasani sighed. "The true meaning behind the brothers has been lost over the years and not even I know the whole back story. Not their names or how it ended."

"Then why do you worship them?"

"Because I am a man who believes in free will."


	6. Chapter 6

"He said his name is Castiel."

Qui-Gon's fingers twitched. He lifted his hand to his head and Obi-Wan leaned over to take it away. The bandages on Qui-Gon's head itched and he had the bad habit of scratching at it. "He's human?"

"He looked human," Obi-Wan explained. "His abilities are not. He touched Shoures and exorcised the demon right out of him."

"He exorcised the demon with a _touch?"_ Qui-Gon said incuriously. "Was it Force based?"

"It didn't feel like it. He's like a shadow… I didn't see or sense him until he was next to me."

"Is he the one sending you your visions?"

"I asked. He said no."

"Do you believe this Castiel was lying?"

Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair, frowning. He never actually considered the fact that Castiel might've lied to him. The idea just never occurred. Now that he was actually thinking of it, he wasn't sure. After all, the guy _did_ save him. But for what purpose, Obi-Wan had no clue. It's a little hard to put trust into somebody who popped in and out whenever they felt like it. "I don't know."

Qui-Gon swiped at his eyes. He'd only woken up from his week induced coma and he still needed rest. He insisted Obi-Wan to tell him everything. "This temple you found him in; what was called?"

"The Temple of the Cross."

His Master frowned. "I'm surprised that religion is still around. It fell out of favor nearly six thousand years ago."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose. "You know of it?"

"Bits and pieces," Qui-Gon said. "It's mostly a human based religion. Two brothers, destined to kill each other. Some versions say the child of Light killed the child of Dark. Some say it happened the other way around."

"The Bishop I talked to said the brothers refused to kill each other."

"I could be wrong," he shrugged. "In a universe this large, facts tend to mix or fade. There's no proof of what's true." His eyes narrowed at his window. "Is that salt?"

Obi-Wan smiled sheepishly. "Extra protection. Keeps out the nasties." He mentally cringed at the slang that kept popping up at random times.

He was grateful to Qui-Gon for reacting the way he did. His Master chuckled and simply thanked him. It was a comfort to know his Master wasn't worried that Obi-Wan was changing into somebody else.

He had yet to tell Qui-Gon of Castiel's accidental name for him.

"You're upset, my Padawan," Qui-Gon said gently to him. "Did Castiel say something to you?"

Obi-Wan grinned ruefully. "Am I really that transparent?"

"I wouldn't be your Master if I couldn't read your emotions. And yes."

He rolled his eyes at him. "Castiel…" he began. "… he called me by a different name. He called me Dean."

"Did he confuse you with someone else?"

"I don't think so," Obi-Wan said. "He is a man who obviously knows what he is talking about. He just wasn't ready to tell me."

Fear bubbled into that last sentence. The more and more Obi-Wan learned, the bigger and more confusing it got. Castiel was hiding something from him, something that will change his life forever. He was sure of it.

"Close your eyes," Qui-Gon commanded. "Now, listen to the Force. What is it telling you?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, drowning out the noises around him. He focused on that pure endless energy, asking it a question and waited for its answer.

It doesn't give him one. "It… it doesn't know."

"Then you are not ready to know," Qui-Gon tugged on Obi-Wan's braid affectionately. "When you are, you will know."

"Yes, Master."

The two shared a knowing grin as Obi-Wan pulled his braid away from Qui-Gon's large hand. When that same hand tried to scratch at the bandages, Obi-Wan slapped it away painfully.

Qui-Gon looked at him dryly. "Brat."

"Bitch."

 _Jerk._

He waited for the usual response to come. When it didn't, the grin slowly melted off of Obi-Wan's face.

The headaches came. Sharp pain shot through Obi-Wan's brain and it leaves him gasping, clutching at his head, nails digging into his skull.

He could hear his Master's voice coming from far away. He wanted to respond, to tell him something but suddenly there's heat all around him and the smell of blood.

 _His intestines were being pulled out by a crank. Obi-Wan breathed sharply through his nose, willing himself not to scream, not to give the bastard the satisfaction, but when his stomach is next to exit his body, that's when he opened his mouth and-_

The first thing he saw was Castiel pulling his fingers away. Obi-Wan was gasping, crying, trembling against his Master's hands to keep him still. They're both on the ground and immediately Obi-Wan felt guilty for forcing Qui-Gon out of bed when he should be resting.

"My suspicions are confirmed," Castiel spoke. He stood up and stepped back, staring down at Obi-Wan sadly. "I am sorry for this. I truly am."

He could barely focus on his words. He was too busy trying to keep his breathing under control, to fight off the fear that consumed him. There was so much screaming in the background…

Qui-Gon placed a hand over his racing heart and willed it to slow down. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and was able to regulate his breathing to normal speed. Nothing however, could stop him from trembling.

Qui-Gon was glaring at the man in the tan coat. "You must be Castiel."

Castiel nodded. "I am."

"What just happened to my Padawan?"

"He is remembering of Hell. I had hoped of all the memories, those would stay away but…"

"Memories?" Obi-Wan gasped. "W-w-what are you talking about?"

Castiel took a step forward towards him and Qui-Gon ignited his lightsaber, held it at the ready. "You keep your distance."

Castiel frowned at this threat. His hand shot out and he grasped the green light tightly. Sparks erupted from the saber along with a horrible hissing noise. Castiel pulls back then as Qui-Gon turned off his weapon. Smoke drifted up from Castiel's hand, no burns or reddening evident on his skin. "Your sword will not work me or others like me. So I suggest not relying on it too much."

"What are you?"

Obi-Wan knew. _Force,_ he knew. Castiel was something special, something powerful and dangerous and for the life of him, the word to describe him refused to come.

"I'm not here to harm you, either of you," Castiel said as he sank slowly to his knee in front of them. "I am here to help."

"Help with what?" Qui-Gon demanded. "With demons?"

"Demons are only the beginning," Obi-Wan jumped as Castiel curled his hand around his left shoulder and squeezed. "There is a war coming Obi-Wan Kenobi. And you are our only hope."


	7. Chapter 7

Overall, it was a very nice room. It looked fairly brand new and it came with all the furnishings a weary traveler could ask for: a large spacious bed, a well stocked kitchen, a clean refresher, and even a holo-set so Obi-Wan may watch the news.

He ignored all these luxuries the moment he saw them. Instead, he scoured over every inch of the room, trying to find a weak spot to exploit. He found none, though that didn't stop him. He kicked the wall over and over again, hoping to tear through. He kicked in a decent sized dent and made the mistake of blinking. One second there was a hole, the next it was gone.

"You should eat something."

Obi-Wan glared at Castiel. "There's a lot of things I should be doing."

Castiel sighed like this was frustrating for _him._ "I am sorry for doing this to you, but it is necessary to keep you safe."

"Safe?" Obi-Wan repeated. "This is not safe, Cas. This is imprisonment. I should be with my Master."

"Qui-Gon Jinn cannot protect you. At this moment, every demon in the universe knows your name, knows your face. And their top priority is to find you and kill you."

"So you keep telling me," Obi-Wan drawled. He'd not had a vision since Castiel placed his fingers upon his forehead. Obi-Wan was grateful for this, but once those fingers pulled away, he was no longer with his Master. He found himself stuck in this room, guarded by something with a personality of a rock. "Are you ever going to explain or should I keep guessing?"

Castiel looked away then, guilty. Always guilty. "I do not know why this is happening. Why here, why now. And until I do, the safest place is here."

"And what about Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan demanded. "And Shoures? What about the Temple? They have a right to know what is going on. And if these demons are coming after me, as you say, that means they're going after the Jedi too. Who is going to protect them?"

Castiel does not answer because he was no longer standing in front of Obi-Wan.

The young Jedi ran a frustrating hand through his hair, resisting the urge to curse.

()

There wasn't much he could do. Beyond sleeping and watching pointless holo-vids, Obi-Wan spent most of his time exercising and meditating. He tried numerous times to reach out to Qui-Gon through the Padawan-Master bond, but something about this room blocked all signals.

When Castiel came back a few hours later, Obi-Wan ignored him.

The man said nothing as he tossed a small brown book onto Obi-Wan's lap. "It is not the original, of course," Castiel said. "But it took me a while to find even  _this_ version. Be careful with it, it's very old."

Obi-Wan turned the book over.

 _The Winchester Gospel._

"What is this?" He asked. Castiel wasn't kidding about the old part. Pages were missing, the ink was either smeared or too faded to read. The pages crackled like dry leaves.

"Your history. _My_ history. Hopefully this'll work better than the random memories you've been getting."

"Your history?" Obi-Wan said skeptically. "This book looks like it's hundreds of years old."

"Thousands. A little over ten thousand, really."

"So you're telling me your family history goes back over ten thousand years?" It's not that hard to believe, but only those of royal family bother to keep track of such things. Most families lose track of their descendants by the tenth generation- only a little over three hundred years. Ten thousand was pushing it.

Castiel shook his head. "Not my family. Me. Read the book, Obi-Wan." Then he disappeared.

Obi-Wan tried his hardest to think of a species that had the ability to teleport and failed. Even if Castiel was a hybrid, he was too much of a humanoid to share any type of alien ability.

He looked down at the book in his hands. He sighed. Might as well.

()

The Gospel was a jumbled mess. Only maybe one or two paragraphs were readable on each page. Sometimes only a word or a letter was legible.

 _-brothers, and they-_

 _-crossroads. He stood and waited, desperate and delirious with grief-_

" _Thou shall live," he said. "Thou shall keep fighting. My soul for yours."_

 _-fifty years. He was torn and raped and mutilated and by the fall of the blood-filled moon, was whole again-_

 _-burned onto his skin, to bear for the rest of his life, a-_

It all became very tiring, very fast. Only one or two names popped up- Bobby and Pamela- but no mention of Winchester or of Castiel. Nothing made sense and Obi-Wan had to wonder why Castiel even bothered giving this to him.

" _I am the one who gripped you tight and pulled you from Perdition."_

A headache was coming on. He hadn't eaten in quite a while, and thought about taking a break. Obi-Wan flipped through the last pages, idly skimming over text. Broken sentences, faded paragraphs were all staring out at him. Only one word caught his attention.

 _Sam._

Obi-Wan stared, bewildered how that name caught his attention yet nothing came to him. Not a face or a nickname. Nothing felt familiar as he quietly repeated the name over and over.

He blinked in surprise when a drop of water fell on the yellowed page. Obi-Wan touched his cheek. He was crying.

He began flipping through the last of the pages, trying to find that name again.

" _If there's anything worth dying for, this is it."_

 _-and with a slash, Gabriel was defeated. An archangel, one of the Four, was dead-_

" _And one day, I'll reap Him too."_

Nothing was coming up, nothing was making any more sense. The name Sam did not appear again until the very last page, nearly the very last paragraph.

" _Yes," said the Righteous man. "Yes."_

 _So Michael took upon his sword, as he was always meant to do. It will end as it began. His might was swift, his arm was strong…._

… _Sam had fought to change his destiny, though he knew it cannot be changed…_

… _the ground shook and the seas boiled. The battle raged for seven years until Michael struck down his brother, ripped his Grace out of his vessel's soul…_

 _-peace-_

 _-harmony-_

 _Paradise._

Nothing else was written. The very last page, the very last word was simply _paradise._ What did that mean?

"Sam," Obi-Wan murmured, allowing the name to bleed over his tongue. "Sam. Sammy. Sam…" he choked. "Oh _Force._ I killed him…"


	8. Chapter 8

Obi-Wan stared at the deep cut in his palm. He concentrated for a few long seconds and slowly, the wound closed itself. He wasn't the greatest when it came to Force healing, but as long as he wasn't bleeding anymore, he was fine.

He quickly washed his hand of blood. He tucked down his sleeve to cover the directional scab.

He wasn't sure if the spell would still work if the blood dried, though he didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, Castiel arrived.

Only a gentle blow of wind announced his presence. Obi-Wan slowly turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. "So," he began. "Can I leave?"

"No, not yet." Castiel glanced at the Gospel sitting on top of one of the chairs. "Have you received any revelations?"

"Nothing that I would call useful," Obi-Wan glared at him. "What are you doing, Castiel? Stop giving me half-truths and vague facts; just come out and tell me the truth."

"You will not understand it," Castiel said. "There is so much history you do not know, and if I can spare you the memories of hell… This needs to be done slowly, carefully. I cannot push it."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Then I have no choice," he pulled back the door to the refresher. On it, smeared in his blood was a circular sigil. Castiel's eyes went wide as Obi-Wan slapped his cut hand upon it.

There was a flash of bright light, Castiel cried out and evaporated into the air.

Obi-Wan stepped back from the sizzling sigil. He knew he didn't have much time. He twisted to the small couch by the wall, concentrated on the mass and lifted it with the Force.

The couch made a horrible noise as it slammed into the wall. Obi-Wan pulled back and slammed it again, again, again, and again. The couch splintered, split in half. With one last crash, the couch broke through the wall.

In his mind, Obi-Wan gave a yelp of victory. He jumped through the hole and ran for it.

()

He was still on the planet Canter, this much he knew. Obi-Wan ran as fast as he could, opening his mind to the Force, seeking Qui-Gon out. He had no idea how long he's been missing.

He found his Master easily. He wasn't far and Obi-Wan willed himself to run faster. He jumped over full lanes of traffic, dropped down ten floors at a time, not giving a second glance to those he scared when he ran past them. He could not afford Castiel appearing and whisking him away again.

Something was wrong though. Qui-Gon was not responding to the bond. Either something was blocking the signal between them or Qui-Gon was incapable of responding.

Castiel did not think of providing Obi-Wan with his lightsaber. Beyond the knife Obi-Wan filched from the kitchen and the broken information of exorcism, Obi-Wan was defenseless. He could rely on the Force to get him out of a situation but not help him should he go up against a demon. Or Castiel.

Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon's Force signature to a library, one of the biggest on planet. Obi-Wan entered the building and noticed something strange straight away.

It was empty. The doors were opened to the public and nobody was there.

Oh yeah, everything about this screamed 'trap.'

Obi-Wan made his steps light and he kept low to the ground. He checked around every corner, ducked behind every wall and despite his overly dramatic stealth, he met no one. There were no guards, not even a cleaning droid.

Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon's signature upstairs, to the library's spacious study hall. And slumped over in a chair, right in the middle of the room was Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan pulled out his knife. He glanced around, saw and sensed nothing. Cautiously, he made his way towards Qui-Gon.

"Master?"

His Master, he could see, was beaten unconscious. Qui-Gon's eye was swollen shut, bruises covered his whole right side of his face and there was a trail of dry blood from his forehead.

"Put up quite a fight, that one did."

Obi-Wan twirled around at the voice, holding his pathetic knife at the ready. He blinked. "Master Tau?"

No, Obi-Wan decided quickly, despite Tau's eyes were a beautiful shade of green. _Demon._

"I tried to possess _him,_ " she nodded towards Qui-Gon. "But he's not like the others. Oh no, he's much stronger."

"What do you want?" Obi-Wan demanded. There was no way he could fight her on his own. He certainly couldn't run away.

"Just to talk," Tau put up her hands in mock defense. "That's all I want. I'm curious really, about the boy everyone is talking about."

"I'm nothing special."

Tau's eyebrows rose. "Oh? In all of the planets of the Republic, of all one-hundred-fifty _billion_ citizens, _you're_ the only one who knows the exorcism chant. You. Can you tell me why?"

"I don't know."

Tau pursed her lips and scrutinized him. For the long seconds she pondered, Obi-Wan spread out his will through the library, locating the exits and windows. The nearest window to him was a good hundred feet away. Could he distract her long enough to grab Qui-Gon and run?

"You don't really know, do you?" Tau suddenly laughed. "Oh my. You can't believe how many demons you have scared, thinking you're some kind _specialty boy._ Nah, you're just a Jedi who got lucky in the psychic department. Go."

Wait, what? "You're letting me go?"

"You're not a threat," she sneered. "And since you don't know everything, by the time you pathetic Jedi organize against us, it'll already be too late. Frankly, I'm curious to see what'll you do. Go."

Obi-Wan wasn't sure if she really meant it. Slowly, cautiously, he bent down to grab a hold of Qui-Gon's heavy form and lifted him off the chair. Giving Tau a wide birth, he made his way towards the exit. She watched him, amused.

If the Temple had received Obi-Wan's distressed signal, they would've sent two Masters, not one. Obi-Wan wondered who the other Master was, if he was still alive. Tau wasn't like the other demon's he's encountered so far. The other two were blood thirsty, savaged. She was a little more calm, collected, and clearly much more dangerous.

 _Do you know what hell is like?_

Obi-Wan nearly stumbled at the voice. He shook his head, trying to disperse it. He couldn't afford to have a crippling vision, not now.

 _Hell is like… well, like hell. Even for demons._

Tau was still watching him, now studying his shaky movements. If only he could get into the hall, away from her eyes…

 _It's a prison of flesh, and blood, and bone, and fear. And you sent me back there._

And like before, Obi-Wan could not stop the name from spewing out of his mouth. "Meg."

Tau stiffened. Her eyes went impossibly wide. "No…" she breathed, her good demeanor suddenly gone. "There's only one person who… no…"

Obi-Wan turned to run. He didn't get far.

An unknown force pulled Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon apart and they both crashed into opposite bookcases across from each other. An orange saber was held to Obi-Wan's throat. "You little sneak!" Tau sneered. "Keeping secrets from me? Naughty, naughty."

She pulled the saber away to grasp him by his front, lifted him off the floor and slammed him down onto a nearby table. "Now, little Obi, you will tell me what I want to know or else I start cutting off limbs. First of all, how much do you know?"

Obi-Wan struggled weakly under her grip. "I don't-"

"Do not tell me that, boy. Exorcism spells and Devil Traps are one thing, but my old name? Specifically _that_ old name should've been beyond your grasp."

"I'm a Jedi. It's as simple as that."

"Jedi look to the future, not to the past. Even if you do not know, you're channeling something specific and I want to know what."

Tau painfully shoved two fingers against his forehead. And as if she had turned the faucet on at full blast, everything was flooding in.

 _Obi-Wan made a face. "What's wrong with my tapes?"_

" _For one thing, they're_ cassette _tapes," Sam rolled his eyes. "And your choice in music? Metallica, Black Sabbath?"_

 _Obi-Wan made a show of leaning over and snatching one of those tapes, shoved it in the player and turned it on loud. "Driver picks the music," he said matter-of-factly. "Passenger shuts his cake-hole."_

 

 

 _Michael was twisting his hands in his lap, devastation clearly written across his face. "You said you're a big brother."_

 _Obi-Wan nodded. "Yeah."_

" _Would you take care of your little brother? You'd do anything for him?"_

" _Yeah, I would."_

 

 

 _Sam looked as if he was just sleeping. It made Obi-Wan choke a bit on laughter, seeing how large his brother was on that dinky little mattress. He sobered quickly and he tried, weakly, to keep the sobs in._

" _When you were little, couldn't have been more than five, you just started asking questions. How come we didn't have a mom. Why did we always have to move around. Where's Dad. I remember I begged you. 'Quit asking, Sammy. You don't want to know.' I just wanted you to be a kid. Just for a little while longer. Always tried to protect you. Keep you safe. Dad didn't even have to tell me. It's just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job. I had one job, and I screwed it up. I blew it, and for that, I'm sorry. I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. Y'know, I let Dad down, and now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that? What am I supposed to do? Sammy?"_

 _Obi-Wan stood and kicked over the chair. He screamed to the sky, "What am I supposed to do?"_

 

 

The memories came in flashes, came in shattered pictures. Obi-Wan didn't understand all of it, but he understood enough.

 

 

" _And why would an angel rescue me from hell?"_

 _Castiel stepped closer. Obi-Wan had to fight to keep from flinching back, from blinking. "Good things do happen, Dean."_

" _Not in my experience."_

 _Castiel cocked his head at him. "What's the matter?" He sounded almost mockingly. "You don't think you'd deserved to be saved."_

" _Why'd you do it?"_

" _Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you."_

 

 

Obi-Wan curled his fist and brought it up as hard and as fast as he could. He felt two of his knuckles broke the moment they contacted with Tau's jaw. He ignored the pain and twisted, bringing up his leg to strike her again.

Tau stumbled back, blood flowing freely from mouth. She was laughing. _"Dean!"_ She cried out happily. "It is so good to see you!"

Obi-Wan advanced on her. Tau simply kissed the air towards him. She threw back her head and black smoke erupted from her mouth. Obi-Wan knew there was nothing he could do but wait for it to end. A second later, Tau collapsed on the floor in a bloody heap.

Obi-Wan sunk to his knees. "Goddamit."


	9. Chapter 9

Shoures was dead. As well as master Whan, the other Jedi Master who accompanied Master Tau to Canter.

Both were killed rather horrifically- not by a lightsaber or blaster- instead someone had ripped their throats out.

Obi-Wan quickly acquired a ship and had all four Jedi transported on it. The hospital staff insisted that Tau and Qui-Gon stay for a few days longer but once Obi-Wan learned their injuries were not life threatening, he checked them out. He also signed for Shoures and Master Whan's bodies, though he didn't have the authority to do so.

Without another glance at Canter, Obi-Wan set the ship into hyperspace. He was going back to Coruscant, back to the Temple. And though rules dictate he was suppose to contact the Council of his activities, Obi-Wan thought the Council can go screw themselves.

Because of the way Obi-Wan had struck Tau in the face with his fists and kicks, he broke her jaw and shattered her cheekbone. It was necessary, but he still felt like a jackass.

Qui-Gon suffered nearly every one of his ribs broken. He also cracked his skull, dislocated his elbow, and broke his right foot. At least he was sleeping well enough, Obi-Wan thought as he pulled the blanket up further on Qui-Gon's form.

"I'm sorry this happened."

Obi-Wan could've punched Castiel. He slowly turned his head back, glaring at the man. "Did you even try to protect them?"

"Of course I did," Castiel breathed. He moved across the ship to stand next to the young Padawan. He looked down on Qui-Gon. "But you know I cannot control the will of men. I could only do so much. And the moment you banished me-" Obi-Wan turned away. "-my protection went with it."

Obi-Wan stared a hole into his boots. "So what happens now?"

"How much do you remember?"

"Not everything," he admitted. "I remember enough to understand. To know what I'm facing." He scrubbed at his face. Sam kept appearing in his mind and he kept pushing it back. He couldn't deal with that, not now. It'll kill him. "What the hell, Cas? Why is this happening? Now, of all places?"

"I don't know."

"Don't give me that-"

"I'm telling the truth, Obi-Wan. _I don't know._ I'm trying to find out, but I don't have the same resources as I once did."

"Isn't this just lovely? A galaxy full of demons and we're the only ones who know how to fight them."

Force, there were just too many questions that follow. It was too big. He'd dealt with civil wars, impending wars, but this? Nobody has seen anything on this level in over five thousand years. The Sith War- as horrific as that was- at least the Jedi and Republic knew what they were fighting. How to fight them. "I need to report to the Jedi," Obi-Wan suddenly announced. He went straight for the ship's communicator. "I need to tell them how to fight this."

"Obi-Wan, listen to yourself," Castiel said to him. "You know the Jedi can't fight this, not under the laws and ethics they follow."

"Then what the hell do you suggest?" Obi-Wan turned on him. Castiel can't possibly suggest that only the two of them take on the impending horde. "What weapons do we have? What clues? The Jedi have the resources-"

"And what do you plan to tell them? That you're the reincarnation of long ancient dead warrior? They hardly believe in demons, despite witnessing an attack happen right before their eyes. They're civilians."

"I won't leave them unprotected."

"And I won't leave _you_ unprotected," Castiel advanced on him angry. "At this moment, Obi-Wan, _you_ are the most important person in the entire galaxy. And I will not stand by and watch you paint a target on your back!"

"Are you going to kidnap me again? Because that worked so well last time."

The two glared at each other. Obi-Wan lifted his chin, daring Castiel on. He was aware Castiel could've easily lifted two fingers to his forehead and swish him away again, but the angel wasn't one to repeat failed plans. "If you want to help me, then help me," Obi-Wan urged. "Don't lie to me. Don't hinder me."

He took a step back. Castiel looked as if he wants to punch him. He turned away, visibly fighting his irritation.

"Will you come with me to the Council?"

Obi-Wan did not get an answer. Instead, a quiet gust of wind kicked up his hair and Castiel was gone.

()

Obi-Wan wasn't sure exactly what to tell the Council. To a certain degree, Castiel was right. Despite what Obi-Wan might say to them, the Jedi were more or less, civilians. They don't understand this. They certainly won't understand _him._ Hell, Obi-Wan barely understood it all. He was starting to wish he'd spent more time interrogating Castiel. He didn't know when the bastard will show his face again.

He touched down upon the Temple's roof, immediately letting in the Healers. He watched silently as they gathered Qui-Gon, Tau, and the bodies of the other Jedi.

Only one person was waiting for him. Not Master Windu, or even Yoda.

It's been joked that Master Krin was as old as Yoda. As beautiful as they are in their youth, Twi'leks look rather ridiculous in their senior years. Krin's skin was blue in four different shades across his face, his head tentacles drooped pathetically over his shoulder. The way his eyes looked, Obi-Wan had to question if he was blind in one of them.

Still, he was a member on the Council. Obi-Wan gave his customary bow, ignoring the ache in his back.

Krin doesn't even blink. Instead, he watched as the Healers brought the bodies inside the Temple. "This was supposed to be a fact finding mission. How did it come to this?" He turned to Obi-Wan. "As of this moment, there is only myself, and Master Makoto present at the Temple."

Obi-Wan startled. "Where are the others?" _Where is Master Yoda and Mace Windu?_ was what he really wanted to ask.

"Off planet," Krin motioned Obi-Wan to follow him inside. "The threat of civil war on the outer rim could no longer be ignored. Most of the Council has been dispatched to various planets to keep war from occurring. At the moment," they passed the Healer ward. Obi-Wan could see Qui-Gon being lifted onto a bed as he walked past. "this is not their top priority."

Obi-Wan wasn't sure to be relieved or worried. To give his report, Obi-Wan would certainly have to lie or omit whole portions. How was he to explain something like Castiel? Master Yoda would certainly see through him.

But having nearly all of the Council off planet was only done during inter-galactic war. The timing of it all; demons, civil war, was too much to be coincidental. Jedi did not believe in coincidences. Nor did Dean.

Krin brought Obi-Wan to the Council chambers. The young Padawan was struck by how empty it looked. Master Makoto was the only one present and she sat in her resigned chair. From behind, Krin closed the door and made his way towards his own seat, leaving Obi-Wan to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Makoto just _stared._ It was creepy.

It took Krin a few minutes for him to sit comfortably and then motioned Obi-Wan to give his report.

Obi-Wan knew as soon as Qui-Gon woke, he would fill in the gaps. At the moment though, Obi-Wan felt no need to report about Castiel.

In fact, there were whole portions Obi-Wan suddenly wished he could not tell: The Devil's Trap. Ah-pril. Shoures' possession. Even when he was regaling the fight between Qui-Gon and Shoures, it sounded like something out of a holo-vid drama.

Even more, Krin and Makoto kept sharing glances with each other. "This Devil's Trap was something you saw out of a vision?"

The visions was something Obi-Wan could not get around. He could either say it was a vision, or it was Castiel. And since he didn't want to talk of Castiel just yet, everything Obi-Wan did was blamed on the erratic visions.

The Devil's Trap? Vision. Shoures' exorcism? Oh yeah, vision. Tau's exorcism? Another vision, that's right.

He sounded like a broken record.

When he was done with his report, Krin and Makoto held a silent conversation. Obi-Wan could see they agreed to something. Makoto nodded then slid off her seat to sit on the floor. She gestured in front of her. "Kenobi, come sit with me."

Obi-Wan did not move. He knew what this was. "I don't understand- what's going on?"

"This is just another mental scan," Makoto said gently. "The same one you received before leaving Coruscant."

"The frequency of your visions is disturbing," Krin threw in. "You need meditation. Master Makoto will help you."

Obi-Wan still did not move. It was more than the fear of them finding out about the truth: what they were doing was not kosher. Qui-Gon was the only one who had authority over what scans- especially mental scans- were performed on him. Hell, even giving this report without Qui-Gon present was unacceptable.

He took a step back. "No. You do not have the right."

Krin growled at him. "Two Jedi are _dead._ Your information is scattered and we are fighting blindly, Kenobi. We do not have time to wait for your Master to wake. We need to do this now."

Obi-Wan tensed. What, were they going to force him? "I refuse."

"I'm sorry Kenobi-" Holy crap, they were. "-but we have no choice."

Kicking an old alien in the face wasn't exactly on Obi-Wan's to-do list, but the bastard had it coming. Before the last words of Krin's sentence came out of his mouth, Obi-Wan twirled on his feet, brought up his leg and slammed it against Krin's jaw.

At least, he tried to.

Krin was old, but _fast._ The alien evaded his kick easily, ducked underneath his leg and grabbed Obi-Wan from behind. It was like being hugged, except Krin's embrace was too hard, too tight to be considered a hug. "Son of a bitch!" Obi-Wan cried out as Krin's tentacles wrapped around his flaying legs, holding him still.

"It's okay, Obi-Wan," Makoto said soothingly, brushing a thumb over his forehead. "I won't hurt you. Please cooperate."

"Screw you, lady!"

Makoto hesitated and Obi-Wan could see she did not fully agree to this. She shared a glance with Krin, who nodded in confirmation and she proceeded. She closed her eyes and placed two fingers against his forehead.

" _Get off him."_

Makoto jerked back in muted surprised. Obi-Wan had to strain his neck to look over Krin's shoulder. Standing by the door, holding his side tenderly and looking all _pissed to hell_ was Qui-Gon.

"I will not ask again," Qui-Gon nearly growled. "Let go of my Padawan."

"Master Qui-Gon," Krin began calmly, as if he wasn't gripping Obi-Wan tightly. "We're simply-"

Qui-Gon switched on his lightsaber.

Krin's eyes narrowed at the threat and loosened his hold. Obi-Wan dropped to his feet and quickly backed away from both Masters. He came to stand next to Qui-Gon, who deactivated his saber.

"We were performing a mind scan, Master Jinn," Krin said stiffly. "We were not going to hurt him."

Despite he was bruised and in visibly in pain, Qui-Gon's voice did not shake when he spoke. "I do not know the reason behind your logic, nor do I care. You touch my Padawan again, I will drop you."

Obi-Wan felt a shiver go through him. Qui-Gon had the reputation for arguing with the Council, even insulting them if he thought they went against his morals and actions. But never once had he ever threatened a Council member- with veiled death, even.

"Make note I will be reporting this to the rest of the Council," Qui-Gon turned to leave. He pushed Obi-Wan in front of him.

It wasn't until they were down the hall and out of sight did Qui-Gon suddenly collapsed. Obi-Wan quickly caught him. "You're still injured, Master."

"I felt your distress," Qui-Gon groaned, shifting his weight so he wouldn't hang on Obi-Wan so heavily. "I thought demons had you. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was Master Krin and Makoto."

"They're scared," Obi-Wan said. It was a lame-ass excuse. "Many things are happening and civilians don't know how to handle it."

"Civilians," Qui-Gon echoed. He said nothing further except when Obi-Wan tried to maneuver them towards the Healer's wing. "No, back to our room. We need to talk and I rather not do it with Healers poking their instruments at me."

"You need medical attention."

He shook his head. "I'm not in any danger. Room, Obi-Wan."


	10. Chapter 10

This... was a little better. He guessed.

The moment he dropped Qui-Gon onto the couch, Obi-Wan immediately went to the kitchen to make tea.

Truth be told, he was in the mood for something a little stronger. He knew Qui-Gon owned a bottle of Itharian wine, but seriously doubted his Master would allow him to drink. He was still underage, after all.

"Obi-Wan," his Master's voice carried from the living room. "Forget the tea. Come here."

Obi-Wan mentally counted to five to calm himself. He could do this. It was only Qui-Gon.

Force, he could really go for a beer.

Obi-Wan walked to the edge of the doorway, his steps slowing and found he could go no further. He knew he should sit on that couch, talk to Qui-Gon like a Padawan should. Instead he leaned against the door frame, his body refusing to move from that spot.

Qui-Gon eyes gazed over his stiff posture. "What has changed?"

"Everything," Obi-Wan said. It was too big a question, with a too big of an answer. How was he to tell something like this to him; to anyone?

A brief moment of pain stole Qui-Gon's breath away and he closed his eyes for a few long seconds. "I know," he hissed. "Tau was possessed the moment I saw her step off her ship. Within seconds she killed Shoures and Whan. She…" he licked his lips. "I think she tried to possess me."

"She did," Obi-Wan said. "You were too strong and resisted."

"And Castiel? What of he?"

"He'll be back. He always does."

"Can we trust him?"

"Yes."

The way Qui-Gon grimaces, Obi-Wan could see his Master did not wholeheartedly agree. "He did not hurt you?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "He wanted to protect me, keep me away from the demons." Meg's taunting laugh echoed in his ear and a shiver danced through Obi-Wan's bones. She probably didn't know any more than he did. However, there was a reason why she lasted as long as she did.

Force, demons roaming the galaxy and no hunters to fight them. No weapons, for god's sake. How was he to make holy water without rosaries? And many alien species abhor salt, thus some planets were totally empty of it. Even Castiel admitted he didn't know whether or not the rules of the past still applied. Was silver still an effective weapon?

Force, where was the Colt? Probably lost forever to ages. And Ruby's knife? Maybe sitting next to the Colt.

"Obi-Wan."

The Padawan jerked out of his thoughts. It scared him, knowing how easily it was to sink into himself, into _Dean._ He stared at Qui-Gon, who was studying his every move.

His Master frowned at Obi-Wan's clenching hands. Dean always had the bad habit of fidgeting. "There is much you're not telling me," Qui-Gon said.

Wasn't that the understatement of the century. Obi-Wan drew in a breath, his chest suddenly tightening. His eyes darted around the room, aware of the close quarters and with every second it felt as if the walls became smaller. Dean was slightly claustrophobic. Waking up in a coffin will do that to you.

Obi-wan bit his tongue and called upon the calming waves of the Force. The aura he has known his whole life surrounded him gently, slowing down his heart rate. "I'm not ready to say," he admitted. He had spent the last couple of hours keeping his focus, acting as a Jedi; he hadn't given himself time to process, really process the situation.

"Obi-Wan," his Master began.

"Master, _please,"_ He wasn't even sure if he wanted to include his Master in this. People who got involved with Dean all ended up dead. "Trust me."

It was very unJedi of him, playing the waiting game. If Obi-Wan was younger, Qui-Gon could've easily demanded the answers, except Obi-Wan was at the age where his Master must take him seriously. If the senior Padawan needed time, his Master should not deny him this.

Qui-Gon clearly disapproved, wanting answers. "I do trust you, Padawan," he finally said, a little strained in his annoyance. "I will give you your space. However, you do not have long. I'm not saying this to be cruel; I do not believe Master Krin will stop simply because I told him to. I can't protect you if I don't know what I'm fighting against."

()

Neon green. His drink was neon green.

Obi-Wan drank it anyways. He slapped his hand down as his young body was unused to the burn. It was fairly easy to find a bar that was willing to sell drinks to underage humans, though Obi-Wan suspected it was because his status of a Jedi. Who was going to deny a Jedi a drink? Nobody, that's who.

Thank goodness for that. Despite his need to wet his lips, he wasn't about to Force suggest someone into giving him a drink. Dean would. Not him.

After Qui-Gon has slipped into a healing trance, Obi-Wan quickly demon-proofed their apartment. He drew Devil's Traps above every doorway and salted the windows. He had a few pieces of scrap iron and gathered them into one spot, resolved to melt it down and make himself a knife.

His saber still hung neatly against his hip. Demon or not, he wasn't going to give this up.

A familiar patron took the seat next him. Obi-Wan gave him a customary glance before going back to his drink.

Castiel frowned at him. "You're too young to be drinking."

The bartender stiffened guiltily and Obi-Wan waved him away. He glared at the angel next to him. "Say that a little louder, would you? I don't think my Master heard that." To further aggravate the angel, Obi-Wan would've drowned the rest of his glass, except he already felt the beginnings of a buzz. Seesh, not even done with his first glass and already he was drunk. Pathetic.

He sighed into his glass and placed it down. "I can't stay, can I?"

"I'm sorry."

Obi-Wan snorted. "You're sorry?" he mocked. "Cas, I'm not sure how much good I am going to be to you. I don't remember everything, I don't. The Winchester Gospel- Force, I can't believe that- said I allowed Michael in. I don't remember that. There are whole portions of Dean's life I can't-"

"It's understandable you won't remember everything. Dean has been asleep for nearly-"

"Don't!" Obi-Wan hissed, holding up his hand. "Don't tell me. I don't want to know how long it's been."

But he did knew. Given the history of when the Republic was established and the events before, Obi-Wan estimated the time between Dean's death and now ranged about half a million years.

It was too big of a number to think of. And it was more than likely he was wrong about his estimate. It probably has been longer.

He pushed his drink away. He couldn't finish it. "So what's your theory? Do you have any idea why all of this is happening now?"

"If it were only demons, it would make much more sense," Castiel leaned back, closed his eyes. "Perhaps they've found a way out of hell. It would be as simple as exorcising them. However…"

"I'm the unknown variable."

Castiel nodded. "Dean should've never woken up. He had done his duty, he deserved his rest."

Isn't that just a kick in rear? Dean had spent- literally his whole life fighting off the forces of evil. And even though he'd been dead for… years, just when he thought it was all over, they pulled him back into the fray.

"I have, however, taken necessary precautions," Castiel continued. "I've placed numerous hex bags around the vicinity of the Jedi Temple. You will not have to worry about demons crossing over."

"That's, ah, good," Obi-Wan said, a little bewildered. It took him a few long seconds to recall what the heck _hex bags_ were again. Even more, how did Castiel find materials to make anti-demon hex bags in this year? "Wait, around the vicinity? Not in the Temple?"

Castiel blinked at him. "I thought you knew," he said, surprised. "There are Enochian symbols guarding the Temple. It's one of the reasons I could not follow you. I am physically incapable in crossing the threshold."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at him. "Oh yes, Cas, I naturally forgot to tell you Jedi also use ancient script to ward off angels. Of course I didn't know!"

Castiel ignored his sarcasm. "The script was written on years ago, perhaps even before you were born."

Obi-Wan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So you're saying… that somebody in the Temple knows about angels?"

"I don't know," Castiel admitted. "The Jedi who wrote the script may be dead- if it is a Jedi."

"I'll do some research. Maybe there's something in the archives. What are you going to do, in the meantime?"

Castiel looked up to the sky as if the answers were written on the ceiling. "Follow a few rumors. Try to get more answers."

"There is no try," Obi-Wan said automatically, easily. It slipped off his tongue and he was glad for it; that it was something of his, not Dean's.

It didn't matter, either way. Obi-Wan blinked and the seat next to him was unoccupied


	11. Chapter 11

Now that he was back in the Temple, it was expected for Obi-Wan to renew his studies. Though his teachers were sympathetic to Qui-Gon's condition, they still wanted Obi-Wan to come to class. When one teacher insisted for his attendance, Obi-Wan told her in a not-so-gentle way of where she could store her saber.

Obi-Wan knew he should make a better effort to not draw attention to himself. But he couldn't really bring himself to care about his studies.

He was on his knees, shoulders squared, breathing slowed. This would be his first real meditation session since he came back- since  _Dean_ came back. It was long overdue.

Obi-Wan couldn't be any real help to either Qui-Gon or Castiel if he was too busy fighting his own personality. Obi-Wan would've easily made a decision whether or not to tell Qui-Gon the truth. Dean, however, was making him hesitate.

 _Dean_  knew from experience that when people got involved, they got killed.

 _Obi-Wan_  knew from experience that hesitation in such decisions were just as bad.

Seesh, this was giving him a headache.

Obi-Wan took in a slow breath and commanded his heart to slow. His mind opened up to the Force and allowed it to wash over him as he dove into his own mind.

Immediately there were faces. Qui-Gon's, Bant's, Garen's. They floated aimlessly in his mind and each one was vivid and bright. There were other faces too, just as familiar and warm. Bobby's, Jo's, Ellen's. It ached Obi-Wan's heart to ever believe he had forgotten them.

Then there was Sam.

Obi-Wan tried to think of his own relationship with his biological brother, Colin, and couldn't. It wasn't as if Obi-Wan didn't care for his brother, but he couldn't see himself going so far to selling his own soul for him.

Dean's relationship with Sam was something the Jedi preached against. A relationship so intense it could lead to the Darkside. Drive someone to murder, to madness. It drove Dean to hell.

Obi-Wan made a decision on that immediately. He tucked Sam's face away, always on the edge of his mind but not really. Sam was gone. He had to accept that.

Oddly enough, after that, it was quite easy to sort through his mind. Obi-Wan drove away Dean's borderline alcohol addiction, his gluttony, and if Obi-Wan found any, memories of Hell. There weren't many, most of them only flashes of red and pain. He couldn't afford  _any_ of those developing strong.

There was much of Dean he kept, though. His ability to talk to people, his charm, his charisma, his love for AC/DC.

Really. The music on Coruscant was  _awful._

The young Padawan took another breath. He came out of his meditation and opened his eyes.

He was ready.

 

 

 

 

As soon as Obi-Wan closed the door behind him, Bant was standing a little too close for comfort, her pink face taking up majority of his view.

When Bant didn't move or speak for a few seconds, Obi-Wan muttered softly, "Well, this is awkward."

Bant stepped back. "I heard you bad-mouthed Master Jonah."

Obi-Wan stepped around her and started walking towards the library. Bant followed suit. "She was being a little pushy. I didn't appreciate it."

"So you thought it was a good idea to tell her to stick her saber up her ass?"

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, everyone is talking about it," Bant offered up. When Obi-Wan doesn't deny the accusation, she gaped at him. "Seriously, Obi? A simple  _no thank you_ wasn't sufficient enough?"

"Like I said, she was pushy. I pushed back."

Bant suddenly stepped in front of him, halting his steps. "What's wrong with you?"

"Bant-"

"Oh, don't you 'Bant' me!" The girl huffed. "You've been avoiding both me and Garen for the past two days. And when I do finally hear about you, you're cursing at Masters? Obi-Wan, I know it must be hard with Qui-Gon being hurt, but you've never pushed us away before. What happened?"

Obi-Wan is suddenly struck by the similarities of his friends. Bant glared at him, waiting to for an answer and it reminded Obi-Wan so much of Ellen, he had to pause to calm his heart. "Do you trust me?"

Bant blinked at him. "Of course. You know I do."

"I promise you, once this is all over, I'll give you the full story. But I need you to trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Bant glared at him. "That's a cheap answer, Obi-Wan."

"I know," Obi-Wan smiled gently at her. He stepped aside her and Bant let him. She crossed her arms as she watched him walk down the hallway, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

 

 

 

 

 

Obi-Wan scowled deeply at the screen before him. He's been at the library for nearly three hours now and he had yet to find anything remotely relating to the Enochian sigils painted on the Temple walls. At this point, Obi-Wan stopped caring who or what painted them. He just wanted to know where they were so he could destroy them and allow Castiel to come in.

However, there was a reason why somebody wanted to keep angels out.

"Review, Obi-Wan," he hissed to himself. "Break it down. What are you missing?"

Castiel said the sigils have been here for a long time, possibly even before Obi-Wan was born.

"What does that mean?"

It means it  _was_ a Jedi who did it. Very rarely did the Temple allow outsiders inside its halls, and most of the time the visitors were refugees or politicians who needed their protection. Even then, they were monitored.

Not a Padawan then. Nor a Knight. It had to be of someone with high rank. A Master. Hell, maybe even a Council member.

 _Why,_ though? What was he trying to keep out?

"What was he trying to keep in?" Obi-Wan whispered to himself and leaned back into his monitor.

In the depths of the Temple, the Jedi have kept and guarded many secrets. Sith objects and torture devices were of common knowledge, though they make up less than ten percent of the inventory. There were also sacred objects, signed secret treaties, and pieces of jewelry that have actually caused the deaths of over three million people.

Even if Obi-Wan had an idea what he was looking for, he had no way of knowing if the Jedi owned it. There were many, many files that demanded the consent of a Master and even a greater reason to actually go  _see_ the object with his own eyes.

Obi-Wan took a casual glance around the library. Nobody was paying attention to him.

 _Tap-tap tap-tap-tap._ And just like that, Obi-Wan broke into the restricted section of the Jedi archives.

He had, maybe, five minutes of searching before someone inquired what the hell was going on. Less than that, maybe two.

Obi-Wan's fingers danced over the controls rapidly, bringing up images and shooting them down just as quick. He was looking for something that would have religious connotations. Something old, something very primitive. It had to be of human origin, possibly shrouded more in myth than fact.

One image popped up and Obi-Wan's fingers stopped abruptly. He blinked at it, trying to be sure what he was seeing wasn't of his own imagination. He couldn't believe it.

The Jedi had the Colt.


	12. Chapter 12

Are you serious? Are you  _frickin'_ serious?

Obi-Wan was half aware the librarian was coming towards his direction. He needed to log off now and run before he was asked questions he couldn't answer.

Never mind the absurdity that the  _Colt_ was in the Jedi Temple, the fact that the gun even survived all these years was mind boggling. Did it even work? Even if it did, where the hell was Obi-Wan going to find gun powder on a planet made of steel and alien metals?

Obi-Wan slapped his finger against the board twice, effectively logging himself out. He ducked his head and dashed away just as the librarian turned the corner.

Obi-Wan stalked down the hallway in a haze. The Colt was in the Temple. What's next? Was he going to find the Impala too?

The thought of that made him laugh out loud, and he ignored the looks thrown his way.

Now he wished he risked the extra second and looked up the name of the Jedi who donated the Colt. The Jedi may be long dead, but at least it would've given Obi-Wan an idea where to look. Maybe even find out where the Enochian sigils were.

Did Castiel know? Probably not.

In the end, Obi-Wan knew what he had to do. He needed to get that gun, no matter what. He didn't have the authority, but he could get Qui-Gon to give him access.

Crap, crap, wait. Obi-Wan shook his head at that. He had yet to decide if he even wanted Qui-Gon to know about Dean. Knowing who and what Castiel was is one thing, but knowing Dean? In order to talk about Dean, he would need to talk about Sam. About John, about yellow-eyes, about everything. How do you explain something like that? Obi-Wan barely understood it himself.

If he wanted the Colt, there was no way around this. He would have to tell Qui-Gon everything.

A Jedi brushed past him. Obi-Wan thought nothing of it until another bumped him, then another. Jedi were practically running past him, trails of tension following shortly behind.

"What's going on?" Obi-Wan asked a passing Knight.

The Knight jerked his head towards the direction where everyone was gathering. "We've just gotten word the Rakghoul plague has broken out on Coruscant."

For a moment, Obi-Wan didn't know what he was talking about. It took him a second to remember what he read in his history class about the plague and that even confused him further. The plague died out centuries ago. "The Council has called an emergency meeting in the main hall," the Knight pulled away from Obi-Wan. "C'mon, let's find out the truth."

Without another word Obi-Wan followed him. Jedi all around him was talking, demanding to know what was happening and the same thing was said over and over again. The plague was on Coruscant and spreading quickly.

Master Krin and Master Matoko stood atop of raised platforms, waiting for the hall to fill. When a decent amount of Jedi gathered around, Krin raised his arm and silence descended upon the hall. "It's been confirmed," he said loudly. "The Rakghoul plague has broken out on the lower levels of Coruscant."

A collective gasp filtered through the crowd. Obi-Wan too felt his own heart give a horrifying lurch, hoping it was wrong. He could only imagine how many people were already infected, how many were being infected as he stood there.

"Authorities have already quarantined the plague in district 243-E," a large electronic map appeared behind Krin, highlighting the area. "The number of infected as well as the number of civilians trapped inside the quarantine are unknown. I require every able-bodied Master, Knight, and senior Padawan to enter the quarantine and rescue as many civilians as they can."

So Obi-Wan will be going, not Qui-Gon. Immediately all around Masters squatted down to instruct their much younger Padawans of the dangers, as many of them protested loudly to Krin's announcement. Others began to demand how this happened, since the plague was supposedly wiped out on Tardis centuries ago.

Krin could give them no answers. "We don't know. Our highest priority at the moment is rescuing the civilians and making sure the plague does not break quarantine. Grab your lightsabers, we leave immediately."

 

 

 

 

 

Obi-Wan had gone into war zones before, but never with so many Jedi, and never without Qui-Gon. There was nothing his Master could really do. He pulled Obi-Wan into a hug and told him to be very careful.

The open doors of the transport allowed Obi-Wan an unmolested view of the traffic beneath them. Stark, neon colors swirled past them as the wind blew deep into his tunic, chilling his chest and arms. At some point he had to close his eyes and turn away as Dean's aerophobia seeped through.

The general traffic eventually tapered off. Emergency and law enforcement transports were all that hovered near the quarantine site, all waiting silently for further orders. Obi-Wan's own transport gave a sudden lurch and began to drop altitude into the district.

"You're not going to lose your lunch, are you, Kenobi?" Asked one of the Masters standing next to him.

Obi-Wan bit his lip. He shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"Good. Once we land, things are going to get bloody very quickly. On its own, a Rakghoul is easy to kill, but in a crowd, it's hard to know where one ends and where one begins. Keep your head and you'll do fine."

"Sure thing, General Patton."

The closer they got to the landing site, the worse the scenery became. Open flames made the air thick with black smoke, and while the streets were clean of civilians, blood splatters were everywhere. Hover cars were turned over, set on fire, and burned scorched marks from blasters littered building walls. There were a few dead bodies of Rakghouls sprawled on the ground, unfortunately their claws were soaked in blood.

"Get ready," The Master flicked on his saber and everyone followed suit. Various lights of blues, yellows, greens and orange sabers illuminated from other transports.

A horrific scream came from the shadows and a black entity ran out and jumped towards the lowering transport to Obi-Wan's left. A green saber sliced through the figure and its two halves landed quite noisily on someone's hover vehicle.

That's when all hell broke loose.

Obi-Wan didn't bother to wait for the transport to land and jumped. The moment his feet touched ground, he had to roll out of the way of a swinging arm. He twisted and sliced through that arm, taking the head with it in one smooth stroke.

All around him, Jedi jumped and threw themselves into the fray. Dozens and dozens of ghouls began pouring out from the street, from open windows of buildings, claws out, teeth bared.

It took a minute or so for Obi-Wan to think past the killing, and to focus on the real issue. He stuck his saber into the chest of a ghoul, and yelled at a Knight a few feet next to him. "HEY!"

The Knight took off the limbs of one Ghoul before turning to him. Obi-Wan jerked his arm to one of the apartment buildings. "YOU WITH ME?"

The Knight killed his limbless Ghoul and nodded.

It wasn't long before they set up some sort of pattern. They went into each apartment, one by one, using the Force to guide them to hidden civilians, ushered them out and onto the awaiting transports. The real difficulty was trying to protect whole families from the onslaught of Ghouls that came from every direction.

Obi-Wan didn't pause, not once, for nearly five hours. By then his sleeves were soaked and heavy with blood and pieces of flesh. He didn't notice how he was slowing, how tired he was. Nobody noticed. There were still so many people trapped somewhere and everybody was tired.

Which is why he almost got himself decapitated. "Son of a bitch!" Obi-Wan cried out, jerking back, touching his neck, praying the claws didn't break skin. His lightsaber twirled and he sliced that Rakghoul down the middle.

The Force screamed at him, telling him three more were descending upon him. Obi-Wan turned and managed to kill one, he threw the other off its course, but the third landed right on top of him.

The RaKghoul was unable to pierce skin and Obi-Wan shoved his saber through its throat easily. It wasn't much, but it was enough distraction for two more to take its place. Then four more appeared.

Obi-Wan didn't know who clawed at him. He just felt the pain and stared horrifically at the three long gashes down his arm. All it took was a scratch for the plague to spread. A bite or scratch.

He was so boned.

The Knight that had fought side-by-side with him saw the whole thing. A wordless conversation filtered between the two of them and Obi-Wan dropped his arm, switching off his saber. The Knight shook his head. "Not like this."

Not like what? If the Knight didn't kill him, Obi-Wan will turn. There was no cure, he had to die.

The Knight raised his saber, posed in a non-lethal way. "No," said the Knight again and brought down the butt of his saber against Obi-Wan's head.

Obi-Wan jerked awake. Well, at least he tried to jerk awake.

Two straps across his legs, one across his shins and another over his thighs. One strap laid across his upper torso, just beneath the armpits while individual straps held his arms down. The last strap was bounded so tightly across his forehead, he was getting a headache.

What the hell.

"We do not have the right!" A voice was pleading somewhere in the background. Obi-Wan could not see. "We should contact his Master, let him know-"

"He could turn at any moment!" Okay, that voice was definitely Krin's. "We need to do this now or lose the chance forever."

Obi-Wan could feel his arm throbbing. It didn't feel like his arm has been treated, yet, and from the corner of his eye, he could only see a massive amount of red. Why hadn't he turned yet? Why wasn't he dead?

Where was he? He couldn't tell much from the enclosed walls around him, but it definitely wasn't the Temple. Maybe it was one of the temporary stations set up outside of the quarantine.

Master Matoko and Krin came into his view of vision. Matoko looked apologetic but Krin was unwavering in his glare. "Do not fight us, Obi-Wan," the green Master said. "You've been infected with the Rakghoul plague and we need the information inside of your head before you turn."

"That's just an excuse," Obi-Wan gasped. His throat was like sandpaper. "I think you've been waiting for this."

Krin didn't deny the accusation. "It doesn't matter now," he said diplomatically. He turned to Matoko. "Do it."

"Don't," Obi-Wan rasped out, halting Matoko's fingers right above his forehead.

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly to him. "It's for the greater good." She planted her fingers against him.

Nothing happened.

Obi-Wan expected some sort of mental onslaught, expected to fight off Matoko until the plague overtook him and changed him. Instead, her fingers laid stiff and cold against his forehead and he blinked uncertainly up at her.

Matoko's brows were in deep concentration. "Something's wrong," she hissed.

"What is?" Krin was staring at Obi-Wan's relaxed, confused face. "Is his mental defenses that strong?"

"No," she hissed again, this time, a twinge of pain was in her tone. "There's something here. Something  _bright._ "

That's when she threw her head back and screamed as her eyes caught on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the Rakghoul plague is to Star Wars canon: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rakghoul_plague


	13. Chapter 13

It was absolute chaos. Hundreds upon hundreds of people were all clamoring around the edges of the quarantine, all screaming for the same thing. What happened, where were their families, who was alive? All the combined voices of fear and anxiety chipped away at Qui-Gon's mental shields, giving him a headache.

It took some time for Qui-Gon to get through quarantine security. In the beginning he flashed his badge to show his status as Jedi, but near the end he mind-suggested everyone he met and pushed his way through.

He followed Obi-Wan's Force signature straight to the medical section, only to be stopped a mere forty feet away. "I'm sorry, Master Jinn," the Knight blocking him stated grimly. "Nobody is allowed through."

"My Padawan is in there," Qui-Gon said, pointing to said caravan.

The Knight shook his head. "I have strict orders. Nobody, not even Masters, are allowed through."

 _I can take him_ , Qui-Gon thought darkly. A hand clamped down on his shoulder and halted his movements.

"Can we talk?" Castiel asked, jerking his head off to the side.

Qui-Gon did not like Castiel.

His Padawan may trust this… _thing_ , but everything about Castiel screamed 'wrong' to Qui-Gon. The way he walked, talked, blinked, was so unnatural. It was as if Castiel was a droid- except droids had more of a personality than him.

Even more, the way the Force moved around him was nothing Qui-Gon has ever felt before. When Castiel used his powers the Force gave off a bright flash, fast and blinding, making Qui-Gon feel as if he'd been punched in the chest. It happens so quickly, he can barely register the shock till nearly scant seconds later. Castiel indeed, was a very, very dangerous man.

If he was a man.

Qui-Gon followed Castiel through the crowds, trying to ignore the confusion bustling around him. There was so much pain, the Force felt like it was _bleeding_.

"Did you feel it?" Castiel asked as soon as they were alone, standing between two large medical transports.

Qui-Gon blinked at him, thrown by the question. "Feel what?"

"I was so far away when it happened," Castiel murmured. His eyes were wide and a little wild. "I'm not sure what I felt. But did you feel it? The… burst of… light only a few minutes ago."

The moment Qui-Gon had felt the sheer utter panic bursting through Obi-Wan, he'd left the Temple to seek him out. Everything else became background noise.

Qui-Gon threw his thoughts back to that moment, searching, picking through the seconds to find the light Castiel spoke of.

And- oh. Oh.

There was something, now that he thought about it. The sensation of gold and silver stabbing through his heart before it was drowned out by Obi-Wan's fevered emotions.

Qui-Gon grasped at his tunic, right above where his heart sat. Force, it burned. "What was that?"

"I need to see Obi-Wan," Castiel demanded, ignoring Qui-Gon's question. "Where is he?"

Qui-Gon was bewildered by this. Obi-Wan's Force signature pulsed strongly, even through the cloud of heated fear from the crowds. How could something like Castiel not tell where Obi-Wan was, when he was only a couple hundred feet away? Exactly what was the strength of Castiel's powers? "You can't sense him?"

"Where is he?"

Qui-Gon took a step back, his eyes narrowing at the man in front of him. "I don't know what you are," he stated softly. "You have given me nothing to show I can trust you, and now, here we are surrounded by death and fear and a flicker of light scares you?"

Castiel advanced on him. In a different situation it would've been hilarious given Qui-Gon was nearly six inches taller than him, but the way the Force trembled around Castiel made it no laughing matter. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."

Qui-Gon refused to be intimidated. "Exactly," he said evenly. "If we are to work together, if I am to put Obi-Wan's _life_ in your hands, you must prove to me first that you can be trusted."

Something flashed in Castiel's blue eyes, anger suddenly draining away. He stepped back. "I understand," he said softly. "I've not interacted with people in a long time and my skills are… rusty. I've forgotten how important relationships between humans are."

"Humans," Qui-Gon repeated. "Are you mixed?"

"No. I'm an angel."

"You're a Diathim?"

Castiel blinked at him. "What? No. I said I was an angel."

Qui-Gon decided to let the question go. "The Rakghoul plague, was this caused by demons?"

"No. This is simply an omen."

"An omen?"

"Demons are…" Castiel's brows furrowed as he struggled for the right words. "not natural creatures. Their very presence causes disturbances in the environment. Strange animal behavior, obtuse weather patterns, random aggressive actions from people. This," he gestured to the chaos around him. "will end soon. It is merely a sign of things to come."

Qui-Gon jerked at the implication. "This is just a _sign_? Hundreds of people are dead!"

"Because something much worse is coming. And if I am right in my theory, then Obi-Wan is the key to stopping everything."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The disorientation of 'zapping', as Castiel called it, passed the moment Qui-Gon spotted Obi-Wan strapped to a table.

His eyes were closed and his breathing calm, but Qui-Gon could feel the anxiety shifting inside of him. Qui-Gon stepped forward and nearly stops when he spotted ash and blood splattered on the ground. The Force signature of two others lingered inside of the room.

"Don't come near me," Obi-Wan said softly.

"You're not infected," Castiel came closer. He raised his hand to remove the restraints. "This is unnecessary."

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and glared at the angel. "Did you burn out Master Matoko's eyes?"

Castiel jerked his hand back, staring at him. "What?"

Qui-Gon swiftly came to Obi-Wan's side. "Matoko- was Krin here too? Did they try to break into your mind again?" His fingers brushed Obi-Wan's forehead and his Padwan flinched against the contact. "Don't-" he rasped.

"It wasn't me," Castiel reached over and slapped the button to release the restraints. The straps relaxed and immediately Obi-Wan jumped off the table, pushing himself away from both Qui-Gon and Castiel.

"Then what the hell was that?" Obi-Wan hissed. He ignored Qui-Gon's command to calm himself. He wanted to feel the anger. Dean may have acted on impulse at times, but his instincts were never wrong. He had felt Castiel was hiding something from him, but he wrote off as 'Cas being Cas.' And frankly, Obi-Wan was tried of acting calm. Who knew being calm took a lot more energy than he thought? "And don't give me your half-assed answers, Cas, just tell me the goddamn truth."

He doesn't like the look in Castiel's eyes. "I had theories, but it wasn't until now… one has been confirmed-"

"Cut to the point!"

"Michael has awakened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diathims, as Qui-Gon pointed out, is part of SW canon. They're humanoid beings with wings and are often called 'angels' because people think they're very beautiful. These 'angels' apparently have nothing to do with actual religious context.


	14. Chapter 14

Obi-Wan couldn't take these earth shattering revelations anymore. It was like being kicked in the balls over and over. "Michael," he stated slowly. "What the hell do you mean?"

"It makes so much sense now," Castiel said, his voice tingling with a 'ah-ha!' moment. "Why this is all happening. It's Michael."

"Who's Michael?" Qui-Gon asked and was promptly ignored by the two.

"Michael killed the devil, Cas," Obi-Wan said. A pounding headache was thrumming sickly against his skull. "It's in the Gospels, he has no reason to be here!"

Castiel shook his head. "That's not entirely true. Yes, it's true Dean consented to Michael. He and Lucifer fought but…" He hesitated.

Force, another revelation was about to drop, wasn't it?

"Obi-Wan, I'm sorry," Castiel said slowly, his eyes asking for forgiveness. "But Sam isn't dead."

There was a ringing in Obi-Wan's ear.

Was the floor moving? Obi-Wan swore the caravan was moving because it felt like the world was suddenly tipping to one side. Qui-Gon was saying something to him, Obi-Wan could see his lips moving, but that God-awful ringing was getting louder and louder.

And when it stopped suddenly, Obi-Wan snapped.

"You _bastard_."

Castiel didn't move to defend himself. He stood firmly and watched as Obi-Wan surged forward, brought his fist up and-

Obi-Wan never even got into Castiel's personal space. Qui-Gon suddenly appeared into Obi-Wan's vision, grabbed two fist fulls of the Padawan's tunic and swung him so hard against the wall, Obi-Wan felt his teeth rattle.

Qui-Gon didn't stop. He slammed Obi-Wan again and again, hard enough to bruise and to break. "Calm yourself!" Qui-Gon hissed at the young man and shook him. "If you can't, I will beat you into submission! _Do you understand me?"_

Obi-Wan tensed, his body humming with pain and the instinctive need to fight back. Blood was dribbling on the side of his mouth where he'd bit his lip accidently. Instead of pushing Qui-Gon off, Obi-Wan closed his eyes, took in a shuddering breath and relaxed.

After a few long seconds, he muttered softly, "I'm okay." When Qui-Gon's fists didn't lack, he added, "Really."

Qui-Gon let go. "It's not safe to talk here," he addressed to Castiel.

The angel nodded, raised two fingers to each of the Jedi's foreheads. Qui-Gon instinctively jerked out when the Force announced of their different environment.

From the sound of distant sirens and light, they must be only a few miles away from the quarantine. A small deserted playground was their only company.

Obi-Wan was quiet for a long time. Instead of speaking, he shrugged out of his outer tunic, throwing his soiled, blood soaked clothes into a nearby trashcan. "Who's Michael?" Qui-Gon took this opportunity to ask Castiel.

"He is an arch-angel," Castiel explained. "A very powerful one. But until now, I thought he was dead."

"What does that mean?" Obi-Wan said. Irritation was still evident on his face, but at least he wasn't echoing hate through the Force anymore. "He killed Lucifer, he brought paradise. It said so in the damn Gospel."

Castiel shook his head. "Michael didn't kill Luficer."

Obi-Wan felt like cursing. He settled for scrubbing at his face roughly. "The battle lasted for years," Castiel continued. "And near the end, it was obvious Michael was unable to kill Lucifer. So he did the next best thing: he divided his Grace and threw him across the galaxy.

"He was good as dead," Castiel urged when Obi-Wan turned away. "Even if Lucifer had until the end of time, he would never pull himself together. In every shadow, every speck of dirt, in every air particle there is a tiny piece of his Grace. And Sam."

"… and Michael?"

"He disappeared. The battle weakened him so much we all thought he died. Nobody has seen or heard of him until today."

"Master Matoko looked inside of my mind," Obi-Wan said. When Qui-Gon raised his hand to touch him, Obi-Wan flinched away. "I think she caught a glimpse of him and her eyes melted out of her head."

"No, if she caught a glimpse, her whole head would've exploded. All she saw was just a shadow. I think we have time. Michael has not fully awakened, it's the only reason why you're still conscious."

"What?" This came from Qui-Gon. "Are you saying Obi-Wan is possessed?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan answered, his face grim. "How much time do I have?" He asked Castiel.

"I don't know. Could be months."

"And Lucifer?"

"…I don't know. Like Dean, the demons are a sign of things to come. Despite Michael's efforts, Lucifer may not be that far away."

"Crap," Obi-Wan hissed. And because he felt he didn't express that better, he said again, " _Crap!_ This can't happen again. Not again, Cas. I'd rather-" he paused, shooting a quick glance Qui-Gon. "I won't let it happen."

Qui-Gon kept his silence, allowing for Obi-Wan and Castiel to talk because it was better to let them to. Except listening to them talk about Michael, Lucifer, angels and such; all of it was going over his head. It was like trying to put together a puzzle without looking, without a picture to compare and without the pieces. Qui-Gon knew, from the way Obi-Wan reacted, Michael was someone of great power.

But it was the name _Sam_ that caused so much grief in his heart, Qui-Gon thought for a split second that his Padawan had died.

"The Jedi have the Colt."

It was at this, Castiel gave a start. "Impossible," he said. "The Colt has been missing for centuries. How-?"

"I don't know how, but it's in the Temple and I can't get to it." He turned to Qui-Gon. "Master, I need-"

"Stop right there," Qui-Gon held up his hand. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this is where I cross the line."

"Master-"

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon stated firmly. "I do not understand what is going on, not really, but we are still Jedi. Remember, our loyalty is to the Republic first, not ourselves. These secrets you've telling, I must warn you, I will not keep to myself. The Council... Master Yoda and Windu will need to be told. You need help, my Padawan."

"I don't deny that, Master, but what you need to understand is that the Colt-"

"I know what the Colt is. After all, I am the one who placed it under Jedi protection."


End file.
